Ends and Means
by newbatgirl
Summary: AUFuturefic. Just how far would Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne go to get what they want? Insurance investigator Chloe Sullivan is about to find out.
1. Prologue

Title: **Ends and Means**

Author: newbatgirl

Pairing: Chlex

Disclaimer: Time Warner/DC can have them back when I'm done.

**Summary**: Set ten years into the future, Chloe is an insurance investigator with uncanny instincts and a near perfect record of ferreting out the truth. She is sent to find out if a costly explosion at a client's manufacturing plant was not an accident. The "client" turns out to be a joint venture between Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Corp, whose respective CEOs are less than thrilled to see her. Largely AU since I stopped watching SV regularly early in season 4. Assume the events up to the S3 finale occurred but that Lionel died in prison. The rest of the history will be explained in the story. The inspiration for this came from a number of sources, which I must acknowledge here. The joint venture in robotics between Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Corp. is actually "borrowed" from episodes of _Superman: The Animated Series_. The rest of the story was loosely inspired by the movie _The Thomas Crown Affair_. Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox and Jim Gordon are "borrowed" from the comics. The other unfamiliar characters are my own creations. Also, the characterizations were not influenced by the recent _Batman Begins_ movie (but you should see the movie anyway because it's good!)

**Prologue**

_Wayne Enterprises Manufacturing Complex, West Gotham City…Building C_

Bruce Wayne adjusted the collar of his custom tailored shirt. A shirt that, given its cost, had no business being uncomfortable at this given moment but still, there it was. True to his reputation, Bruce was normally cool and unflappable in almost any situation. He rarely sweated, seldom paced, and almost never fidgeted.

"You're fidgeting," came a deep voice from his left.

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"I don't fidget, Lex," replied Bruce icily, his tone a cue to Lex to drop it.

"Fine, have it your way," replied Lex.

Lex studied the expression on his friend's face for some clue as to what was going on his head. After a few seconds, he conceded to himself that it was useless exercise. Bruce was a master at concealing his thoughts and emotions. While Lex himself was schooled in doing so as well, Bruce's demeanor was unique in how much it differed from his public persona. When out socially or among people he didn't know very well, Bruce was rarely seen without a smile or amused expression on his handsome face. He laughed, joked, and flirted with relaxed ease. Privately, or at least with small groups of people who knew him well, that jovial nature fell away leaving…almost nothing behind.

The private Bruce was quiet, almost solemn. His face was typically devoid of emotion. To an outsider, it would have seemed creepy but of course, outsiders didn't see it. Lex was used to it, so he brushed it off as another of Bruce's quirks. Lord knew that he had enough of those on his own; he didn't need to obsess about Bruce's.

The two men were standing in an alcove off one of the main production floors of a large Wayne Enterprises plant. Just next door, a small army of journalists were awaiting the press conference formally announcing a joint venture of the two corporate giants. Rumors of an alliance between Luthor Corp and Wayne Enterprises had been circulating in the business community for months.

If this press conference went well, the stock prices of both companies would soar by the time the closing bell sounded that very day. Wall Street analysts would be scrambling to figure out the implications of what they learned. Competitors would be scrambling even more to figure out if they stood a chance.

And Lex and Bruce would be holding all the cards. Or so they planned. The problem was, things rarely worked out exactly as people planned them.

The two men had known each other nearly half their lives; they had alternately fought tooth and nail and saved each other's skins from boarding school up through their impressive business careers. They knew each other better than virtually anyone else in the world. However, with these two particular men, that really didn't mean much. There was a lot that each didn't know about the other and that was the way they wanted it. It was probably why the friendship had lasted so long.

Right now they could have even passed for two very expensive bookends, save the absence of hair on one of the men.

Truth be told, there were some other minor differences. They were about the same height, though Lex was of a slightly leaner build. Bruce's bulkier frame was well-concealed in his own custom tailored suit, which was only a shade or two darker in color than Lex's. Both men had pale blue eyes. Lex was completely bald whereas Bruce sported head of wavy dark brown hair that was just tad longer than one might have expected of a CEO.

Through the door, Lex could hear Bruce's second-in-command, Lucius Fox, welcoming the media and getting ready to introduce them. He turned to Bruce.

"Ready for this?"

"Of course. We can the handle the press, Lex. That's not what I'm worried about."

"We've been working on this for a year, Bruce. There's nothing to worry about."

"There's always something to worry about," countered Bruce, setting his jaw.

"Well aren't you the eternal optimist? Where is this coming from?"

Bruce glared at Lex for a beat before responding. "Doesn't matter where, it's still true."

Lex placed one hand on the door handle and one on Bruce's shoulder to get him moving. "Whatever it is, we'll fix it. Later. Right now, we've got a job to do."

Through the door, Lex heard Lucius say their names. His first. He looked at Bruce. "Follow my lead," he said.

There was scattered applause and camera flashes as the two men reached the raised platform facing the crowd. Behind them hung a huge white curtain emblazoned with the Luthor Corp. and Wayne Enterprises logos.

Lex stepped to the podium without hesitation, his earlier discomfort now invisible.

"Good afternoon, Ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the talented teams from Luthor Corp. and Wayne Enterprises who have worked many long hours to bring us to this point, I thank you for attending. We are proud of what we have to show you and at the risk of sounding immodest, something I am rarely accused of being…"

Lex paused to let the audience snicker at their cue and for more cameras to flash.

"…we have a great deal to be proud of. What this joint venture between Luthor Corp. and Wayne Enterprises is going to do is nothing less than revolutionize the field of robotic engineering."

The curtain raised behind him revealing dozens of gleaming robots in various sizes. They were not robots in the humanoid/popular sci-fi sense of the word, but rather manufacturing machines designed to perform specific tasks.

"Utilizing the latest materials, power sources, and artificial intelligence, our two companies have developed the prototypes you see here. These prototypes are capable of performing hundreds if not thousands of tasks in many different atmospheres and environments, from the extreme pressure in the deep ocean to the unforgiving atmosphere on the surface of Mars…"

Lex paused as the cameras flashed and the crowd strained to get better look at the robots. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bruce smiling for the cameras, his earlier stony expression gone.

"…And," continued Lex, "our accomplishments are made all the more satisfying because we can say that they were driven by engineers working at two American corporations, right here on American soil. Make no mistake, the next revolution in robotics beings today, on this side of the Pacific…"

The audience reaction was immediate, the applause nearly deafening as they surged forward even more at Lex words, snapping pictures and shouting questions nonstop.

Satisfied at the response, Lex stole a look at his own friend and wasn't surprised at what he saw. Bruce was still smiling, or course, but his eyes were an icy shade of blue staring straight at him. Lex had deviated from the script, even if it was only slightly. Bruce didn't like it and they both knew why.

* * *

_Meanwhile…a busy downtown café…across town…_

Chloe Sullivan took a bite of her sandwich as she scanned through the thick file in front of her. She tuned out the noise around her in the busy café. She sat alone at a table near the window of the café. Around her, the sounds of the midday rush of business people grabbing their lunches before heading back to the office. The café catered to the busy downtown area. In addition to quick, tasty meals, the owners of the cafe had installed several big screen televisions and tuned them to news and finance stations so their customers could stay in touch with the latest stock prices and headlines even while they ate their noontime meal.

Chloe, however, was more interested in the stack of files she had brought with her than the screens. If she had been interested, she would have noticed the fact that the Luthor Corp/Wayne Enterprises press coverage was currently the lead story on CNBC on the screen just above her head. Above the headline which read: "Luthor and Wayne Put Japan on Notice?" There was footage of Lex and Bruce shaking hands and posing for the cameras in front of their machines.

There was a time when Chloe Sullivan might have wanted to be one of the reporters clamoring for quotes from the two business titans but that time was long gone. She had other pursuits these days. Headlines were only of passing interest to her now.

Sitting alone at her table, she looked like any other well-to-do career woman. She was dressed in a charcoal gray pant suit and white blouse. Her blond hair now hung well past her shoulders and framed her face with slightly side swept bangs. On the seat next to her were a simple black briefcase and purse. People who knew Chloe Sullivan at 16 would have never believed that she would dress so simply. For the person she was now and the work that she did, there wasn't room for funky clothes and flashy jewelry. She accepted that.

Not tearing her eyes from the documents in front of her, she took a long sip from her drink only to choke a bit as she felt a hand on her back and a voice in her ear.

"Hey, CJ, why'd you start without me?" said the voice.

Sputtering slightly, Chloe glared at the man who slid into the empty seat at her table.

"Gee, Danny, maybe because you're a grown man who hasn't mastered the art of telling time yet."

Danny, aka Daniel Pena, one of Chloe's coworkers, gave her a carefree grin as he reached over to swipe some of her French fries.

"I'm not that late, calm down. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"You're…" Chloe consulted the thin gold watch in her wrist, "twenty-three minutes late and you're eating my fries. Give me a reason not to kill you."

"You need me?" said Danny loftily, waiving to a waiter. "You can't figure out the financials in whatever case you're working on without my extensive knowledge."

"Oh, get over yourself, you're a CPA, not an astrophysicist. There are plenty more where you came from."

"But I'm your favorite."

"Correction, you're available and easy to boss around, that's why I asked for you," retorted Chloe, pulling her plate of his reach.

"Ah, that's not what my boss told me, he said you requested me because you said that I was your 'favorite assistant investigator' from the department."

Chloe wrinkled her brow making a mental note to go over the definition of "confidential" with the head of Forensic Accounting.

"Fine, so you're my favorite. Don't let it go to your head. Being the least annoying of a group of people who keep copies of the tax code under their beds for light reading is really not that hard. Watch your step, Daniel. Piss me off and I might not request you anymore," she warned with a glint in her eye.

That quieted him. Danny was a little on the cocky side but he knew he was lucky to be working with Chloe Sullivan on any of her cases and aside from some flirting and teasing, he wouldn't want to do anything that might piss her off.

Chloe was a senior investigator at one of the country's top insurance companies, Allied Insurance. Her job was to investigate the loss claims of their clients for signs of fraud or other criminal behavior, or to look for ways to reduce the amount of the loss. Sometimes that meant investigating the client and other times it meant going undercover to recover a lost or stolen item from the black market.

In spite of her relatively short career and young age, Chloe Sullivan was very good at what she did. No one was quite sure just how much money she had saved Allied Insurance since she had started as a junior investigator right out of college but the figure was rumored to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

As a result, she had her pick of cases and rarely worked on anything with a potential claim value of less than a million dollars. Chloe generally worked alone, as was her preference, but on cases that required specific expertise, she was given her pick of lower ranked investigators to assist her. And, since Chloe's cases never failed to attract the attention of senior management and the industry at large, there was always competition to work with her.

Danny didn't kiss her ass, though, that's probably why Chloe liked to work with him. He knew how to push her buttons but he didn't push too far.

"So what do you need?" Danny asked, after the waiter took his order.

Chloe tapped the folder she had been looking at before Danny arrived, "Remember that building collapse near the river a few months back?"

"Yeah, I think so. Happened during construction. It was supposed to be a garage or something but the builder rushed the job and by the time they got to the fifth floor, the lower floors weren't stable enough to hold the weight. Whole thing came crashing down. Don't tell me we insured that job?"

"No, thank God. We did, however, insure the building next door. Apartments. At least a dozen tenants are claiming damages amounting to just under $10 million. That's not counting the millions that we've already paid to the agency that owns the building."

"Well, look at the neighborhood, those apartments have to be pretty upscale," Danny pointed out as he finished Chloe's fries. She had long since ceased to care and he had pulled the plate back.

"Some of them, I guess, but most of the tenants have been there for years so they're not paying full market. The agent on the claims didn't feel right about it. She and I worked together before so she sent it to me to see if I could find something and I did."

"What?"

"I read the descriptions of the damages and they're all the same."

Danny did not look convinced. "CJ, I trust your judgment, but claims usually sound the same: water damage, broken furniture, yadda yadda. There are only so many ways things can break. How is that a red flag?"

"I mean, they're really all the same, down to the same language on the claim forms, they used the same adjectives to describe how their belongings were damaged. I have twelve forms here and it seems everyone's floors and walls cracked in exactly the same way, causing specific damage to their belongings. Also, seven of the twelve forms claim damages to 'load bearing walls.' Most people who live in apartments wouldn't know what a load-bearing wall is, let alone know how to identify one. It's not right, Danny. Someone either coached these people or prepared the forms for them. I'm guessing the latter."

"OK, but getting help with the forms isn't really a crime, is it?"

"Not if the damages are real but I don't think these are. There's something else going on here. You don't see this kind of uniformity unless there's a larger scheme in play. Believe me."

Danny chewed thoughtfully for a minute. "So what you need me to do?" he asked finally.

"We start with the company that manages the building. Always start with the common denominator, right? And if that doesn't pan out, we look for another one. I have their financials for the last three years, including the most recent quarter. I need you to comb over these and tell me if you find anything weird. I've going over with our architect to look around and to interview some of the claimants."

Chloe pushed the pile of folders towards Danny and began placing the rest back in her briefcase. In the middle of the process she felt Danny's eyes on her. She looked up, blowing her blond bangs out of her eyes.

"What?"

"I've worked with you on at least a dozen cases over the last year and half and I realize that all I know about you is that you have got really good instincts. Scratch that, really scary instincts. What's your story?"

Chloe averted her eyes from Danny's gaze. "There's not much to know. I got hired, moved up the ranks. As for the instincts, I guess you just get a feel for these things."

"No, that can't be it. You're at least ten years younger than the other investigators at your level, CJ. And, you clear more cases than any two of them put together. How do you do it? How did you even get here?"

How did she get here? How did Smallville's legendary 'girl reporter' end up working for an insurance company of all things? That was a million dollar question.

She looked a Danny for beat, wondering what he would think if she ever told him how much Chloe Jeanine Sullivan, CJ to her current coworkers and friends, had lived before moving to Gotham. How close she had come to dying. And the promises she had made to herself.

They probably wouldn't believe it.

"Does it matter how I got here?" she asked. "I'm here now."

* * *

_Three weeks later…Wayne Enterprises Manufacturing Complex…Security checkpoint_

"Time?" asked the young security guard, as he cricked his neck to relieve the weariness.

"Eleven fifty-one. Few more minutes. We have to wait for Abbot and Costello to arrive. Hope they're on time. They were late last night," replied another guard at his side who was slightly older and heavier set. "I don't like getting off shift late just 'cause they drag their feet. Ain't fair."

"You got that right," agreed the first guard.

The two men were standing out side the box-like security booth at the gates of the Wayne Enterprises Manufacturing Complex. The complex was guarded twenty four hours per day with one guard here at the gate and another guard circulating the complex in a small vehicle. There were a total of five buildings in the complex, identified by letters A through E. The two guards on duty on any given time usually took turns circling the complex, if nothing else to stave off boredom.

The two men on duty now, Sanders, the younger and Welman, the older, were both anxious to be relieved of their duties that night. It was a Friday and the weekend beckoned.

The both breathed signs of relief when the second security vehicle pulled up to the booth, with the two guards for the next shift, Peterson and Markofsky, inside.

"Nice of you guys to join us, tonight," called out Sanders.

"Aww, just can it, kid. We're on time tonight. You'll get home in plenty of time to slap the salami and whatever it is guys like you do on a Friday night."

"Kiss my ass, Peterson."

Welmen ignored the exchange as he punched codes on the computer inside the booth to clock him and Sanders out.

"Anything going on?" asked Markofsky as the two new guards stepped out of their vehicle.

"Is there ever?" replied the old guard. He tapped another screen in the booth that showed the views from various security cameras around the property. "Quiet as usual, this time of night. Buildings A and E are the only ones working this shift. Others are locked up tight. If you get a chance, there's a birthday thing in A for the shift foreman. Oughta be some cake left."

Peterson elbowed the portly Markofsky, "You think this guy needs more cake? Any more and he's not fittin' in the booth anymore."

"What kind of cake?" asked Markofsy.

"Chocolate chip pound, I think."

Markofsky opened his car door again. "I think I'll take the first round about, Petey."

"Now there's a shock," grumbled Peterson.

Shaking their heads, Sanders and Welmen stepped towards their own vehicle.

"Have a good night, guys. Try to stay awake," called Welmen.

As he turned away, there was a horrible rumbling from the other end of the complex, followed by a huge thunderous explosion. All four men turned in time to see huge plumes of smoke rise up towards the sky, with raw red and orange flames obscuring the deep blue of the night.

"What the ---?"

"That sounds like it's coming from C!"

All four men were frozen in place for several seconds as the smoke clouds billowed in the distance and the fire reached higher and higher in the sky

Finally someone, probably Sanders, broke the silence.

"Which…uh…which one of us is calling that in?"

End Prologue.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Three weeks later …Allied Insurance Company…Gotham Headquarters…_

"...really unbelievable, CJ. How did you figure this out?" asked Ted Dandridge, Chloe's boss and VP of Investigations at Allied.

Ted was in his early fifties, tall and lanky, with dark hair that was shot with a great deal of gray and silver, and kind, dark brown eyes. He was a veteran investigator who had actually been a cop for ten years before joining the insurance company. He called it his "previous life." They were in his office and Chloe was briefing him on the resolution of her latest case.

"Well, the uniformity on the claim applications was my first clue. Then when I visited the site, I heard rumblings about the management company making upgrades to take the building co-op in a few months."

"Hmm, that's good luck for the tenants, particularly in that neighborhood. A real windfall. If they could afford to buy their apartments outright, that is."

"Exactly, I had Pena from FA look over the financials and as of the last quarter, the management company was covering its expenses pretty well. Nothing fishy but it didn't have nearly the assets it needed to take the building co-op…" continued Chloe as she paced the floor in front of Dandridge's desk. It was always difficult for her to sit still when talking about a case, particularly one she had just cracked.

"…of course, when the building next door collapsed, it really was a windfall to them. The management decided to put the funds we paid them to good use making the necessary upgrades. I checked out the management company's claims and they're all legit. They really did just get lucky on this one. The tenants, on other the hand, are a different story. Turns out, the superintendent got wind of the co-op plan and he convinced some of the tenants that the easiest way for them raise the cash they needed to buy their apartments was to file exaggerated damage claims. He was experienced, so the claims got by the first inspector we sent out. It took a second look with an architect to find the exaggerations."

"These people make good money; you're telling me that their super convinced them to commit large scale insurance fraud?"

"Well, apparently this guy was more than just a super to these people. He was like family. He has worked there for 25 years and most of the tenants have lived there at least ten. He knew everything about them. They told him when they were going on vacation or away on business. He handled everything from deliveries to leaky faucets. They trusted him. It's funny, Ted, I interviewed the guy after we figured it out and, he still doesn't see this as a crime. He's a single guy in his late fifties and this building is actually all he has. The way he sees it, this was just a way for him to keep his family together. The reason the claim applications all sounded alike was because he prepared them. When I talked to the tenants, they said they he made it sound like it was the only way they could afford to stay in their apartments once the building changed over."

"With $10 million of our money?" said Ted, incredulously.

"With $10 million of our money." Chloe sank into a chair opposite Ted. "This job never ceases to amaze me, Ted. Before I started here, I would have said that the reason that people commit insurance fraud is simple: greed."

"And now? What would you say, CJ?"

"Greed's a big one for sure. But take this superintendent. He wasn't going to see a dime of that $10 million yet he orchestrated the whole thing. That's not greed. He did it because he didn't want to be lonely."

"And what does that tell you?" probed Ted, sounding more like a psychologist than a boss.

Chloe grinned. "Well, for one thing it tells me that you can never presume too much in this job. There's always a story, and often there's more than one; if you dig deep enough, you'll find it."

"You're sounding a little like the reporter I used to know," joked Ted.

"What can I say, the skills overlap," Chloe quipped back.

Her boss was one of the few people at Allied who knew what Chloe's first dream had been having done a deep background check on her as soon as she began working for him. He understood why she was there. After what she had experienced in Smallville, Chloe couldn't see herself living the life of a full-time reporter but investigating was in her blood. In doing this job, she could use her extensive skills, but stay out of the spotlight.

So what if her case summaries sometimes read like news stories? That was just who she was.

"Speaking of which…" began Ted as he reached for a pile of folders on his desk, "I have the files for your next case right here, if you want to go over them."

"Jeez, slave driver, much? I just cleared this one."

"And I know these ten minutes of downtime have been killing you!"

Chloe couldn't argue with that. Inactivity did not suit her. Stakeouts were murder on her.

"OK, lay it on me."

"Before I give this to you, let me say that I am aware how this may look to outsiders, but I trust your judgment. Regardless of what other people might say, you're the one I want on this case, Chloe."

It was the "Chloe" that caught her attention, people at Allied rarely called her that. She was 'CJ' there. 'Chloe' and especially 'Chlo' were from another life.

"OK, now I'm concerned. What exactly is going on here?"

"It's just…a case of this magnitude, I can't afford to have another investigator botch it up. The paper pushers upstairs are still dragging their feet on this one but we can't afford that kind of delay. There's too much money involved here. This is my division and it's my call, I'll square it with them later… In the meantime…" Ted seemed to realize that he was rambling and he shrugged. "Here, see for yourself."

Chloe took the pile warily and flipped open the top folder.

She scanned the page and her eyes went wide. "You're kidding, right?"

Ted shook his head. "I know there's history there, but I trust you to stay focused; you can probably make it work for you if you put your mind to it. It's your case."

"You want me to investigate Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne?"

"I want you to investigate the explosion. If that leads you to Wayne and Luthor, then so be it."

"I can't take this case, Ted. You know I can't take this case," insisted Chloe, placing the folder back on the desk between them.

"It's my call, CJ, and I say it's your case."

"Ted! You know the history; you read my background check. My father worked for Lex Luthor. I testified against his father in federal court, for God's sake. There's no way that anyone will believe that I'm impartial."

"Listen to me, I am aware of how this might look to other people but the bottom line is, if I have to choose between with the possible questions that might arise from you being on this case and it not being solved at all, I'm going to go with the former, every time. The fact is I don't like the stench of this case. Call it a gut feeling, paranoia, whatever but something's happening here, something big. There's no one else that I can count on to go in there and figure out what that is. No one but you."

"Just what do you think is happening here?" asked Chloe, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That's for you to find out," replied Ted shoving the folder towards her again.

"I don't have a good feeling about this; it could really blow up in our faces."

"No pun intended," smirked the older man.

Chloe shook her head. "Be serious for a minute, please."

"OK, seriously? Seriously, you said that people commit these time of crimes for a lot of different reasons. Well, there are also a lot of reasons that people succeed as investigators. Luck, tenacity, low expectations of human behavior, abundance of cynicism, whatever. You and I succeed for the same reason. We cannot rest until we find out the truth, no matter where it takes us. That's the reason I need you on this case. If I send anyone else in there, they might be intimidated by the power, star-struck, blinded by glare. You, on the other hand, have experience dealing these kind of people. You won't let those things happen. I can feel it."

Chloe bit her lower lip for a second, and then reached for the folder without a word.

"I'm authorizing use of several assistants on this, due to the scope, and to mitigate any concerns anyone might have about your influence, however, as I said, it's your case. Bring it home for me."

"It's my case." Chloe repeated, still not sure who she was trying to convince.

* * *

_Smallville…10 years earlier…_

_Chloe heaved the last bag into the trunk of her car and slammed it shut. It made a very satisfying sound in the quiet spring air. It was early, far too early than Chloe normally woke up but the fact was she really hadn't gone to sleep the night before. Between packing and the series of futile arguments with he father, she had been too wound up to sleep. _

_He said it was too soon, that she should stay and finish her senior year with her friends. Enjoy her youth now and not rush things._

_She said she was ready to leave now. There was no reason academically to stay longer, she had more than enough credits. She had always been far beyond what the provincial town's school system could provide anyway. There was no use in waiting until June. Her so-called friends would understand. She could get to college a semester early. Get started sooner._

_Why Gotham, he asked. Her acceptance at Met U was secure. Why move halfway across the country? Away from everyone and everything she knew?_

_There's your answer, she had said. _

_Gabe had been hurt at that and it had taken some backtracking for her to explain that she hadn't meant him. Everything but him. _

_Now he was looking down at her from the bedroom window as she packed her car. They had their tearful goodbye indoors so there was nothing left for Chloe to do except wave and mimic holding her phone with her hand. _

_The motion caused to her to freeze for a moment as she remembered something. She waited until the bedroom curtain fell closed and her father's eyes were no longer on her before digging into her purse for a small cell phone. It wasn't her regular device, but rather a sleek black model programmed to reach only one other number. _

_Lex had given it to her on her second day of hiding that past summer. It had been her only link to him and the outside world for long, agonizing months. _

_He told her to use it anytime, day or night, and eventually she had. Anytime she felt lonely or scared. He answered attentively each time. They talked about stupid things: B-movie plots, their favorite foods, and music until they felt strong enough to talk about scary things like love, friendship, and death. Neither presumed to know more than the other about such things, they simply traded experiences. They made cynical observations, pointed out the colossal ironies in their respective lives, and joked about chucking it all and becoming idealists._

_Contrary to what some of Smallville's old matrons thought, Chloe and Lex did not have a passionate sexual relationship that summer. Lex had never even hugged her for more than a few seconds and even then, only if Chloe initiated it._

_What they had was a passionate friendship…which is why it hurt so much when it ended. And the fact that it didn't so much end, as just fade away made it so much harder to take._

_Upon her return from the dead, Chloe had held onto the phone, calling Lex occasionally to talk about her adjustment, about his father's illness, and the fact that Smallville never seemed to really change. At first, he answered regularly, and their long conversations continued. Soon though, when Chloe called, the rings went unanswered. He didn't call back. In their fleeting in-person meetings, he gave no explanation, he would briefly acknowledge her presence and move on. _

_For another couple of months, her rings continued to go unanswered and the blue blandness reflected in his eyes when she passed him in the Talon told Chloe all she needed to know. _

_Their friendship, as it was, had run its course. She stopped calling. _

_Now she held the phone in her hand and wondered briefly if she should keep it as some kind of morbid souvenir._

_The fact that it was trash day on the Sullivans' street decided the matter for her. Twirling it once in her hand, Chloe stepped quickly to the can on the curb and dropped the phone in, slamming the lid down with her other hand. It made a satisfying sound. _

_Slipping on her sunglasses, Chloe got into her car, threw it into gear and proceeded to drive herself out of Smallville._

_Five months early, alone, and heading in the opposite direction of Metropolis._

* * *

_Wayne Enterprises Headquarters…two days later…_

Chloe scowled at her reflection in the polished panels of the elevator doors as it carried her to the top from of the Wayne Enterprises Building. She was alone in the elevator so she used the time to double check her appearance. She was irked with herself for having taken so much extra care with choosing her suit. Outraged that she had tried on three blouses before settling on the emerald green silk shell. Downright furious with herself that she had allowed the thought of how the color might bring out her eyes to even cross her mind.

Chloe's hands literally itched to fuss with her hair just once more be she stubbornly resisted the urge. She wasn't there to ogle the two men or be ogled; she was there to do her job. That job was to find out if someone had deliberately blown up the Wayne Manufacturing Plant three weeks before. She was not there to see how Lex Luthor would react to seeing her again after 10 years. And she certainly wasn't there to see if his presence in a room still raised the temperature by at least 20 degrees. Nope, not at all.

The elevator chimed and Chloe's breath caught in her throat. She had worked with Interpol for God's sake. She had put international criminals in prison. She could do this.

Chloe stepped off the elevator and as her heels clicked loudly on the marble floor, she silently wished that she had worn flatter shoes.

She stepped up to the receptionist and handed the young women the security pass she had been given in the building's lobby.

"CJ Sullivan from Allied Insurance. The guard downstairs should have called to say I was on my way up."

"Yes, Miss Sullivan, you're here to see Mr. Fox?"

"To start with."

The receptionist looked blankly at her for beat before picking up the telephone. She spoke quietly into the phone for reasons Chloe could not fathom given that she was standing right there and could hear everything the woman said anyway.

Bored, Chloe used the time to take a look around the reception area. It was the executive area of a Fortune 500 company, alright. Marble floors. Fresh cut flowers on the expensive mahogany tables. Beautiful framed artwork on the walls, huge plate glass windows to show off the fact that they were 40+ stories above the streets of Gotham. Speaking of which, even Gotham looked good from this height. Go figure.

Behind the receptionist, the words "WAYNE ENTERPRISES" beamed from the wall in polished gold letters.

The typeface and words were certainly familiar. Having lived in Gotham for the better part of ten years now, Chloe was used to seeing Bruce Wayne's name, or rather, the company name, on office buildings, manufacturing plants, and signs all over town. Not unlike how one got used to seeing the Luthor name all over Metropolis.

"Mr. Fox's assistant says you don't have an appointment," said the receptionist loftily, interrupting Chloe's thoughts.

'No shit, you think I would have warned them that I was coming?'

"Mr. Fox doesn't see anyone without an appointment. He's a very busy man."

"I am very happy for him. You can tell 'Mr. Fox's' assistant to tell 'Mr. Fox' that I'm here about their recent claim to Allied Insurance. The claim involving that big building of yours that blew sky-high a few weeks ago? The claim that won't be paid until I talk to him, 'Mr. Wayne' and 'Mr. Luthor.'"

The young receptionist blinked at her.

"I can write that down for you if you want," added Chloe.

The receptionist scowled at her almost imperceptibly and went back to whispering into the telephone.

She raised her head again, "Mr. Fox will be out in a moment."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Super." God, she hated receptionists who thought they were the Gestapo.

Within minutes, one of the mahogany doors burst open and a slim, dark-skinned man in his late forties can rushing out, still straightening his tie.

"Miss…Sullivan was it? Lucius Fox, Senior Vice President of Wayne Enterprises. Sorry about the confusion." He extended his hand and Chloe shook it firmly. "Had we known you were coming..."

"Kind of the defeats the purpose of the 'surprise visit.' C.J. Sullivan, Senior Investigator for Allied."

Lucius laughed nervously at the quip. "Of course, why don't we talk in my office?"

She followed him through several sets of doors to his office and accepted his silent invitation to sit down across from his large desk.

"What can I do for you today, Miss Sullivan? I hope there wasn't anything wrong with the claim forms. I worked on those personally, with assistance from our in-house counsel. We made sure to cross the t's and dot the i's."

"The forms were fine, Mr. Fox, but surely you realize that someone from Allied would be here even if your claim had been engraved on stone tablets. We're not in the habit of handing over $200 million payouts without doing a little investigating first."

Lucius looked perplexed for a moment before answering. "Of course, um, what can I help you with?"

"Everything."

"Pardon?"

"Pursuant to the terms of the agreement you signed when you bought the policy, if you want to collect your claim, you have to give us, more precisely, me, access to the records of all of your operations so we can be sure that there were no illegal activities that directly or indirectly led to the loss."

"And by 'access to our records' you mean…?"

"Paper files, computer files, whatever was salvaged from the accident site…. sorry 'alleged' accident site. Access to computer networks including archived files, emails, any financial records relating to the joint venture plus financial records for the two companies for the past three years…" Chloe realized that Lucius was just staring at her. "Do you need to write any of this down?"

"I think I need to get our attorneys up here."

"That works too," Chloe answered cheerily. She loved this part.

_Wayne Enterprises Headquarters…Bruce Wayne's office…_

"Bruce, for the last time, you cannot blow off this meeting!" spat Lex, the muscles in his jaw twitching madly.

"Watch me." Bruce replied, slipping back into his suit coat. The phone on his desk began to buzz but he ignored it.

"Goddammit, Bruce. This is damage control and we have to do it! This PR consultant has a plan that both of our companies need to put in play if we're going to survive this."

"You can go play spin doctor with your consultant all you want. I have a company to run."

Lex tossed the copies of the PR plan that he had been holding onto Bruce's expansive desk.

"Really? It seems to me that if you and your people had been doing that properly in the first place, we wouldn't be here..."

A knock on the door interrupted their 'discussion' which by now had gotten quite loud.

"Not now!" shouted Bruce. He turned his attention back to Lex. "No way, you aren't going to try to blame this mess on me again. We both know how we got here. If you had stayed focused on getting this done instead of acting like you were trying to get elected…"

"Stop being ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? I was there, Lex! The only things missing were the American flags and a campaign bus. You want to run for office, you do it on your own dime, not on mine. Between that and your secret deals…"

"You are the last person on earth allowed to talk to me about secrets, Bruce…"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The knocking at the door grew more insistent and Bruce placed his palm against his forehead as he yelled at the door again. "Still not now!"

"Mr. Wayne, Mr. Fox is here to see you and he says it's urgent!" came the frazzled voice of Bruce's executive assistant.

Bruce exhaled. "Fine, send him in."

Lucius opened the door, looking somewhat guilty for interrupting. Lex eyed the man and decided that he had probably heard every word of their 'discussion.'

"What is it, Lucius?"

"Sorry to interrupt but something's come up. There's an investigator from Allied Insurance here about…the claim. They say they have a right to see all records of our operations before they'll approve payment. And they do mean everything, Bruce."

"That's ridiculous. There must be some mistake. Did you run it by…"

"I ran it by legal, sir. It's in the policy we signed. They have a right to see it all, including all Luthor Corp. records relating to the joint venture," replied Lucius, shooting a look at Lex.

"You're joking, right?"

"Look for yourself," Lucius handed Lex a thick document, "circled area, page five."

Lex's eyes flew over the page. "What the hell…?" His face went pale and his eyes flew to Bruce's. "This can't be right. This has to be a mistake."

Bruce grabbed the documents from Lex and scanned them himself. "It doesn't look like it."

"This doesn't make any sense…this investigator, where did you say he was?" demanded Lex.

"She. She's in my office. What should I do?"

Bruce looked stone-faced for a moment and Lex ran his hand over his head.

"Sir?" pressed Lucius. "She's been in my office for over thirty minutes now…"

"I don't know. Just get back there and…"

"Get back there and what?" asked a clear female voice from the doorway. "Stall her? I think the ship has sailed on that option, gentlemen."

All three men turned to see Chloe standing in the doorway, one hand on the door frame.

Lex froze and time seemed to stand still for him. "Chloe?" The word came out like a whisper but not so low that Bruce didn't catch it.

She had a sort of half-smile on her face. She was dressed in a very elegant-looking suit, and a green blouse, not at all the way he remembered her. In his memories she was always wearing jeans and some kind of funky patterned shirt. Her hair was longer than he remembered. Her eyes looked very wide and green as they swept over him to Bruce and back to him again.

Then it seemed like everything happened at once.

"Miss Sullivan! I thought…I thought you were waiting in my office!" said Lucius, crossing the room in three long strides to stand between Chloe and the two other men.

At the same time, Lucius' assistant, a gray-haired women who looked like the very definition of a school marm, came running up behind Chloe.

"Oh, there you are, Miss! Mr. Fox, I am so very sorry, she said she was looking for the ladies room. Then she got away from me." She shot Chloe a reproving glance.

Chloe shrugged at Lucius. "Must have took a wrong turn."

Lucius looked back at his boss and realized that there was no way around introductions at this point, at least not with looking like they were trying to hide something. Or even more like they were trying to hide something. "It's OK, Nora. I'll handle it." The woman hurried away.

"Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor, this is the investigator from Allied Insurance that I mentioned. Miss Sullivan. As I said, Miss Sullivan is here to investigate the explosion at the plant so that Allied can authorize payment," said Lucius. "A formality, I'm sure," he added optimistically, as if saying the words made it so.

"I do this for living, Mr. Fox, and I'm very good at it. I'd prefer you not characterize it as 'a formality,'" Chloe responded, as she stepped forward and extended her hand to Bruce first. "Nice to meet with you, Mr. Wayne." Bruce only nodded as he shook her hand; he was still irked that this woman had all but barged into his office and overheard what he had said about 'stalling her.' Plus, he was more than a little curious as to why Lex had acted like he had seen a ghost for a few seconds there.

He watched intently as Chloe relinquished his hand and extended her hand to Lex. Lex visibly hesitated for a second before taking it.

"Mr. Luthor."

"Miss Sullivan."

Bruce observed that they both held the contact a bit longer than necessary, almost as if they were daring the other to let go first. Lucius' voice interrupting them made it a draw, however.

"Well, Miss Sullivan, why don't we go back to my office…"

"No, not quite yet. I need to say something first," Chloe said looking each man in the eye. "And, what I have to say is for all of you to hear. I realize that the thought of my company going through your operations records is a bit…distasteful right now but it's going to happen. Allied Insurance needs to know what happened to your plant. If it truly was an accident, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. " She placed her hands on her hips. "However, if it wasn't an accident, we will find the parties responsible. And just so there's no confusion, our definition of 'the parties responsible' generally includes those whose names are on the dotted line at the bottom of the policy. In this case, that would be…" She reached for the policy in Bruce's hand and read the last page "… Bruce T. Wayne and Alexander J. Luthor. Imagine that."

Chloe looked up, smiling brightly. "So it looks like you guys are stuck with me for the foreseeable future. Cooperate and this will be pretty painless. I will warn you, though, 'stalling' me just makes me irritable and then nobody has any fun."

"What if we just decide to withdraw the claim?" asked Bruce. At Chloe's raised eyebrows, he continued, "You're asking for access to the operations records of two very large corporations, Miss Sullivan. There might be sensitive…competitive data that we may not want to share. All legal, of course, just proprietary. Surely you understand."

"Mr. Wayne, I'm here to find out if someone's trying to cheat my company out of $200 million. I don't give a rat's ass who you buy your widgets from and what you resell them for…unless it has something to do with why that building blew up."

"Of course," she continued, "if you want to withdraw your claim, that's your choice but then two things will happen. One, you'll both have the eat the costs for the manufacturing plant, which you insured for $200 million but we all know was much more valuable in terms of research and development, future values, etc. And two, in doing so, your actions will be considered, according to the terms of our policy, a Questionable Circumstances Violation of said policy and you will owe us a Questionable Circumstances Termination Fee equal to no less than 10 of the claim amount."

"What?" exclaimed Bruce.

"That's $20 million!" said Lex.

"You did that all in your head? I'm impressed," Chloe replied dryly and smiled faintly when Lex glared at her.

Lucius shook his head. "That's impossible, you cannot make us pay you $20 million just to get out of an insurance policy."

"Your lawyers didn't circle that entire paragraph, did they? That QCT fee is our way of making sure people understand that once they're in on something illegal, they're in all the way. When it comes to insurance fraud, we don't think there's such a thing as 'just a little bit guilty.' If you don't like the fee, I suggest you take it up with your senator. QCT fees were made legal by the legislature eight years ago. Oh, and one more thing, all QCTs become matters of public record. Your business partners, clients, customers, and the press will all find out about it. And draw their own conclusions as to why you would pay it."

Bruce, Lex and Lucius exchanged looks. "I can't believe this," muttered Bruce.

"And I can't believe how many people still don't read the fine print," said Chloe, leaning against Bruce's desk. All three men frowned at her. "The devil is in the details, after all. So…" she looked around the enormous office. "Mr. Wayne? Care to show me where I'll be working for the next few weeks?"

End chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_It had been Lana who told Lex that Chloe had left town to start college early. And she had done it days after she left. Lex was momentarily angry to be so far disconnected from Chloe that it would take so long for him to find out but he realized quickly that it could not be helped. Gabe rarely discussed her with him even though he was back working at the plant. His relationship with Clark was non-existent. That left only Lana to tell him, who mentioned it in passing as she talked about something else. When he stopped her, Lana seemed startled, as if she was surprised that Lex would be concerned with what Chloe was doing while she was in the middle of a story._

_Unfortunately Lana did not know much, all she seemed to know was that Chloe had requested her diploma from Smallville High and that she had left town to start college early. Lana presumed that she was staying in Metropolis, either at the University or with her aunt and cousins. _

_Two days later, Lex climbed the stone steps of Metropolis U's main administration building with an inexplicable sense of giddiness. He didn't try to plan what he would say to Chloe when he found her, he knew he just wanted to explain his behavior, to make sure that she had come to the right conclusion about his aloofness. He had faith in her intelligence but he also knew that sometimes her self-esteem issues got the better of her. Away from Smallville, away from the prying eyes, he could smooth things over, if need be, Lex was sure of it. _

_It took several minutes for Lex to convince the registrar to give him information about Chloe. Some nonsense about privacy laws. When the man finally acquiesced, Lex wasn't prepared for the answer. He expected to find Chloe halfway across campus, already plotting her way onto the executive staff of the school paper. He didn't expect that she wouldn't be there at all. Not on campus, not in Metropolis at all. _

_It didn't take long to find out where she was, but the message was clear, Chloe had moved on and she wanted to be left alone._

* * *

_Wayne Enterprises Headquarters…executive conference room…later that day_

"…and I'll need copies of all financial transactions made by the in the name of LW Technologies, your joint venture, as well as transactions made by each of your corporations into the venture and from any the each corporation' SPE's," said Chloe, checking off another item on the list in her hand.

She was pacing the length of the table, she always thought better on her feet, while Lex, Bruce, Lucius, Bruce's assistant and one of Wayne Enterprises' attorneys were seated at the table.

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Chloe from his seat at the conference table.

"You seem to know a quite a bit about corporate accounting. However, our financial statements are quite complex. Are you sure that you won't need one of our accountants to walk you through those documents, Miss Sullivan?"

Chloe knew thinly veiled condescension when she heard it but she kept her cool. She turned and smiled at Bruce.

"I do know quite a bit, Mr. Wayne. And anything I don't know, I'll be going over with my own forensic accountant, if it's all the same to you. In these matters I find it's always better to BYO."

Bruce's face returned to the stony visage he had been showing ever since Chloe appeared in his office and if he wasn't upset in his own right, Lex would have found it pretty funny. The idea of Chloe Sullivan walking all over Bruce Wayne would have typically been priceless to Lex had she not been walking all over him for the last hour as well.

True, she had not spoken directly to him since she shook his hand, but her general comments, demeanor, and even the way she kept raising her eyebrows whenever he or Bruce made seemed explicitly designed to tell them, specifically him, that she was in charge.

Or maybe he was just projecting.

As she spoke, Lex tried to recall how their relationship, such that it was, had left off ten years earlier. They hadn't fought or had a falling out after she left his protective custody. The deep friendship they had developed over that infamous summer just seemed to dissolve, wither away from inattention. Though Lex knew the reasons why he had let it happen, he could never be sure that Chloe did. Lex had briefly considered contacting her in Gotham but had been filled with the unfamiliar feeling of foolish uncertainty at the thought. What would he say to her after not speaking to her for six months in Smallville. 'How've you been?' 'Sorry about the cold shoulder routine, is that a new haircut?' Yeah, right.

The months turned into years and urge to hire someone to find her faded as well, though, truth be told, he had often wondered where she was. Every once in a while when he opened a newspaper, Lex half expected to see her name in a byline. He never did, and now he knew why. Chloe Sullivan, investigative journalist, had found a different calling.

She was talking to him now.

"Mr. Luthor? Did you hear what I said?"

"No, can you repeat that?" he said, feeling somewhat embarrassed at being caught unaware.

"I said, you should call your Gotham office of Luthor Corp. and tell them to expect one of our accountants first thing tomorrow morning. And one of our computer specialists, as well.

Chloe checked another item off her list and Lex was alternately aggravated at the way she spoke to him and somewhat hurt by her distant behavior. And the fact that it hurt him was aggravating him all the more.

"Will that be all, Miss Sullivan?" asked Lucius, when neither Lex nor Bruce made any attempt to speak.

"I think so, no wait…there is one thing I have to say. Kind of a standard caveat. As I said my computer specialists and assistants are on their way but it will certainly take us the rest of the day to get ourselves up and running. In the meantime, and through the course of the investigation, I'll warn you not to destroy any paper or digital documents, transfer files, or otherwise attempt to remove materials from the various premises that might be probative." One corner of her mouth curled up. "We can always tell when you do that, and aside from being a felony, it _really_ pisses us off."

Bruce's assistant snickered into her hand and tried to cover it up with cough.

Bruce looked like he was at the end of his rope, at least to Lex, who was the only one in the room who knew the signs.

"Miss Sullivan, I assure you, we intend to cooperate fully with this investigation. No one here intends to destroy evidence," Bruce said icily.

Chloe's eyes went wide. "Oh, of course you wouldn't, but I have to say it. Kind of like when they ask you if you want fries with that. Part of the routine, you know? That's all I have. For now. I'm sure we'll all be talking again very soon."

Lucius rubbed at his temples, apparently weary of trying to keep up with Chloe Sullivan's turns of phrase.

"Miss Sullivan, if you'll excuse us, I'll go make sure that the temporary offices you requested are ready," he said, rising from the table. Lucius, the assistant and the lawyer soon exited.

Bruce rose from the table as well and waited as Lex did the same. "Miss Sullivan, my apologies for the earlier comment about 'stalling you.' I had clearly underestimated you. I trust you won't hold a thoughtless comment like that against the company during your investigation."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Lex and I have some things to discuss, if you'll excuse us. I'm sure Lucius will be back soon to show you to your office so you should probably stay _here_ until then." Bruce's less-than-subtle emphasis on the word 'here' was almost enough to make Lex laugh. The man didn't really think he could stop Chloe Sullivan from snooping around if she really wanted to, did he? Of course, Bruce really didn't know who he was dealing with.

"Perhaps you'd like something while you wait?" interjected Lex. "Coffee, maybe?"

When Chloe shifted her vaguely amused gaze from Bruce to him, Lex felt uncharacteristically foolish, as if she were laughing at him for some reason.

"Coffee? Now there's an idea. Never could turn down a good cup of coffee. Thank you. I'll just be checking in with my office in the meantime; there's no need to babysit me."

They watched as she sank into one of the chairs and pulled her cell phone out of bag.

Both men got the distinct feeling that they had been dismissed and they eventually backed out of the room into the hallway.

For the second time in as many hours, Bruce exhaled heavily. "Well, that was…I don't know what that was, actually."

"I hear you. That was certainly unexpected," replied Lex, still looking at Chloe through the open door as she punched numbers on her telephone.

Lex felt Bruce's eyes on him and he knew that Bruce wanted to ask him something, probably something about his reaction to Chloe's appearance. He was going to have to explain that sooner or later.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Bruce asked finally.

"To start? Get her a cup of coffee. I'm not sure we want to see what happens if we don't."

* * *

_A short while later…_

Chloe looked out the window of the conference room with her back to the door as she waited for her call to connect.

"Ted? It's CJ. Got your message. Everything's going as expected. Some of the usual bull to start but I think they know the deal now….uh-huh…yeah, it was…. Anyway, I just left a message for IT to send me two bodies, one for here and one for the Luthor Corp. building. I'm also going to need FA to send me some number crunchers. Again, one for here to work with me and one for Luthor Corp…. Yeah, they know they're coming….For me? Send me Peña, only don't tell him I asked for him. You got that?" she laughed into the phone. "I'm serious, I'll never hear the end of it…OK, thanks…you too. Bye." Chloe snapped her phone shut and turned from the window only to come face to face, or rather, face to chest with Lex.

"Christ!" she exclaimed, taking a step back and grabbing the window frame to steady herself. "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

A grin spread slowly across Lex's face. He had finally caught her off guard.

"Did I frighten you?" he asked silkily.

"No…more like surprised. I wasn't expecting to see you there," countered Chloe.

"Well then we're even. This is the last place I expected to see you."

"Really? Where was the first place?" she asked, dropping her hand from the window frame and stepping a little closer.

It was the closest she had been to him all day and he realized she was wearing some kind of scent; not perfume. Body wash? Lotion maybe? The scent hit him and he was confused again.

"What?"

"You said that this was the last place you expected to see me. What was the first place? After ten years, Lex, where would you expect to see me?"

"In my morning paper actually," Lex answered honestly.

Chloe gave a little eye roll and stepped around him. "I left that dream behind a long time ago."

"Why?"

"I had my reasons."

It was clear that he wasn't going to get anything else out of her on that score so Lex tried another tack.

"CJ?" he asked.

Chloe rolled her eyes as she tossed her phone in her bag. "Listening in on my call? Why I am not surprised? It's a nickname, for friends and colleagues, at least."

"Interesting. What should I call you?"

"Miss Sullivan still works. That was always a favorite of yours."

Lex grinned faintly, despite the dig. "Your sense of humor hasn't changed. You look great, by the way; those ten years have been very kind to you."

"I could say the same to you, except now that you've said it, it would seem insincere, don't you think?"

"No one could ever accuse you of being insincere, Chloe. You always say exactly what's on your mind."

"I can't argue with you on that. In fact, I'll tell you what's on my mind right now. If you're trying to figure out if I have some angle, some sort of ulterior motive in being here, you're wrong. This case came up and my boss gave it to me. End of story."

Lex pressed his lips together. She was keeping her distance, emotionally at least. Her tone was like ice.

"What makes you think I was thinking that?"

"Why else would you be in here? What else do we have to say to each other?"

Before Lex could answer, Lucius returned to the room.

"Miss Sullivan, we have an office ready for…Oh, Lex, I didn't realize you were in here. I'm not interrupting?"

"No, you're not," Chloe replied quickly, picking up her purse and briefcase. "I'd like to see that office, please."

Lucius' eyes flicked from Chloe to Lex for a beat before he gestured for Chloe to follow him.

"Of course, right this way." Lucius led Chloe out the room and down the hallway to the left.

Lex let out a frustrated breath and turned to face the window. He didn't notice Bruce enter the doorway from the right. He watched Lex at the window for a minute before continuing down the hall.

* * *

_Text of email…_

_We have a problem. Allied Insurance investigating the explosion. The investigation cannot be allowed to proceed. _

_Advise ASAP._

End Chapter.


	4. Chapter 3

_AN: Thanks for the reviews so far. I hope you like this. I had fun writing this part, especially Alfred. Just so you know, several DC Comics figures will be popping in here from time to time. If someone is unfamiliar to you, just ask about them in your FB and I'll clarify whether he or she is a DC Comics character or an original character. Thanks, NBG  
_

**Chapter 3**

_Later that night…much later…_

Gloved fingers flew over the keys of the large control panel, typing out a search:

**SULLIVAN, CHLOE J **

**FEMALE**

He added some more details, including Chloe's approximate age and other vitals and let the computer's intricate databases do the rest. The results of the search appeared in one flat screen monitor and as the user entered another search.

**LUTHOR, ALEXANDER J**

**MALE**

When the results appeared seconds later, the user entered another command: **FIND MATCHES**.

Before the user could view the results on the third screen, the rapid movements of a feather duster across the console obscured his view.

"Alfred!" he growled in his trademark gravely voice. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, sir, but thank you for your concern." Came the clipped reply from the wielder of the feather duster, an elegant man with silver hair and British accent.

"I meant, I can't see the screens when you do…that. I'm working now. Can't you do that some other time?"

"If you can name a time when you _won't_ be working, sir, I'd be happy to come back then. But since Nostradamus himself couldn't possibly predict such an occurrence, I have to choose my opportunities when I can."

The Batman, as he was popularly known, frowned and grumbled low in this throat.

"Just…clean something else until I finish this search," he said, turning back to his massive console.

"I wish I could, sir, but I'm all caught up down here," replied Alfred, gesturing around the Batcave. "I've even catalogued your supplies for you: things you swing from, things that explode, and things that incapacitate evildoers. Those last two took quite awhile, though. You wouldn't believe how often things overlap in those areas."

"Alfred…"

The manservant ignored the warning tone in his employer's voice, a tone that had caused many a criminal to lose control over their excretory functions. Instead he peered over Batman's shoulder at the image on the first monitor.

"What a lovely woman. Please tell me she is not our city's newest megalomaniacal evil villain. Sorry, villian_ess_.

"Her name is Chloe Sullivan. She's an investigator from Allied Insurance looking into the explosion at the LW Technologies plant."

"I see, and why are you investigating her?"

Batman glared at him through the lenses of his cowl. "I like to know whom I'm dealing with," he answered pushing back his cowl to reveal the handsome, yet expressionless features of Bruce Wayne.

"And her connection to Mr. Luthor?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Lex knew who she was when she walked into the room today and she knew him. I could tell from how they interacted. There's clearly some kind of history there."

"There's always the direct approach, you could just ask him."

"Oh, I plan to, Alfred, but I don't like asking questions I don't already know the answer to."

Bruce pulled the winged gloves off his large hands and punched some more keys on his console.

"This is interesting…Chloe J. Sullivan, listed as a dependent of one of Luthor Corp.'s employees, Gabriel Sullivan…until about eleven years ago. He was apparently the plant manager at a facility in…Smallville?"

"Interesting name for a town. And they say we Brits are eccentric," murmured Alfred.

"Gabriel Sullivan was terminated then, no explanation given…The next time there's any connection between the two of them is when Lionel Luthor was tried in federal court ten years ago. Apparently, Ms. Sullivan was a star witness."

"That's quite a connection, indeed. What happened?"

Bruce tapped more keys. "Shortly before her testimony, Miss Sullivan and her father were killed in an explosion while being transferred to an FBI safe house. According to the same news article, Lex was hospitalized for an attempted poisoning around the same time. "

"Killed? Didn't you just say you met her today?"

"Yes, and as the saying goes, she looked pretty good for a dead woman. Here it is…She and her father resurfaced three months later, alive and well, again in this Smallville place."

"No explanation given? They're just dead one day, alive the next?"

"The implication is that they were hiding out from Lionel Luthor, but no one seems to know where or how."

Bruce tapped some more keys. "Damn, that's the last connection. It seems Chloe Sullivan left Smallville and moved here right after high school. She's been here in Gotham or overseas working for Allied ever since graduating from Gotham U. No further connections to the Luthors, at least not that I can find here."

"So what does that tell you, sir?"

"Not enough," replied Bruce. "But it's a start." He leaned forward again and entered another command:

**SHOW ALL IMAGES**

A single image popped up on the search window. It was a picture taken by one of the press at the Metropolis Courthouse during Lionel's trial. It showed a younger Chloe Sullivan and Lex Luthor standing very close to one another. Lex's hand was at her back and the two appeared to be in deep discussion. The Chloe in the picture looked young and anxious, very unlike the woman Bruce had met that day. She was beautiful, though, even back then.

But instead of wondering what they had been discussing, Bruce was looking at the expression on his old friend's face.

"This, on the other hand," said Bruce, tapping the screen, "tells me quite a lot, Alfred."

* * *

_The next day…Wayne Enterprises Building…_

It was already mid morning when Lex Luthor crossed the lobby of the Wayne Enterprises building, heading towards the elevator. He already had a fierce headache and wanted nothing more than to be left alone as long as possible.

"Lex, hold the elevator!"

So much for that.

Bruce was the last person he wanted to deal with right now. Well, maybe not the last but near the bottom of the list to be sure. Still, Lex leaned on the 'door open' button to wait for his friend.

Walking leisurely and looking ridiculously rested, Bruce ambled over to the elevator, briefcase in hand. Lex wasn't surprised by this. Bruce rarely made it to the office before ten. To those who hadn't worked closely with him, he gave off the air of a 'hands off' CEO, content to be the public face of the company but let others make the decisions.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Lex knew that behind Bruce's public face as a carefree playboy who just happened to share the name with a Fortune 500 company, was a shrewd, calculating mind.

Lex didn't question the dichotomy in his friend; he surmised that Bruce's reasons for it were partly business and party personal. Lex himself knew the value of not keeping part of yourself hidden from the world so he played along and didn't question it. Bruce had certainly extended him the same courtesy when necessary.

Lex rolled his eyes, though, as Bruce stepped up beside him in the elevator. He let the doors close before addressing him.

"Just getting in?" he asked with a slight air of condescension.

Bruce shrugged. "Had a late date last night; kind of spilled over into the morning."

Lex resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. He had no desire to hear about Bruce's sexual conquests.

"I've already been to my Gotham offices. The accountant from Allied was there when I got there, tearing the place apart. You can't even imagine." He almost shuddered at the memory. The accountant Chloe had sent to Luthor Corp was a humorless woman in her fifties with a tobacco-hardened voice and a quick temper. He had never seen his staff move so quickly before, not even when he lost his temper with them.

"I guess we'll see more of the same when we get upstairs," said Bruce evenly.

"You don't seem all that concerned about this. Aren't you worried about this at all?"

"Of course I am but I'm not about to get caught off guard again like we did yesterday."

The elevator stopped at one of the lower floors and an attractive brunette stepped on, flashing smiles at both Lex and Bruce. Lex barely acknowledged her but he had to endure a few minutes of watching Bruce flirt shamelessly with the woman before she stepped off again on the 28th floor.

"You were saying?" Lex said pointedly.

"Hmmmm? Oh, yeah...we can't allow her to catch us off guard again. She may have won the first round, but this isn't over."

There was need to ask who the 'she' was that Bruce was referring to.

The elevator chimed as it reached the top floor of the building and Lex immediately stepped off and headed towards the office that he had been using for the past year as he and Bruce put together their venture.

Much to his annoyance, instead of heading to his own office, Bruce followed him past the reception area and down the quiet hallway.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you…"

'And here it comes…'

Lex stopped but didn't turn.

"…our new friend the insurance investigator, where did you two meet?" Bruce inquired.

It was on the tip of Lex's tongue to deny knowing her but he sensed that would be futile and then Bruce made that much obvious.

"I couldn't help but notice that you knew her name was 'Chloe' when both she and Lucius had only revealed her last name. So I surmised that you must have known her from somewhere else."

Lex turned. "Nothing gets past you Bruce," he said sarcastically. "Miss Sullivan's father once worked for Luthor Corp, ran one of our plants, in fact. He worked at the plant in Smallville, outside Metropolis, when I lived there a few years back. That's how I know her."

"Do you know _all_ of your employees' children, Lex? Or just the ones who are built like her?"

"No, I don't, but you seemed to have missed the name of the town. _Small_ville. As in everybody knows each other. She might have been a friend of people I knew in the town, that kind of thing. And to answer the next obvious question, no we didn't. It wasn't that kind of relationship."

"What kind of relationship was it?" Bruce pressed.

Lex was trying hard not to show his annoyance with the conversation. He knew he had to appear disinterested or Bruce would never let up. "One that's completely irrelevant to the matters at hand. Now if you don't mind, I have a conference call with our suppliers. They'd like me to explain when they're going to receive payment for components that no longer exist."

"That's precisely why you should answer my questions. You know what's at stake here, Lex. Now, during the course of this 'irrelevant' acquaintance with Miss Sullivan, do you recall anything about her that might give us some insight as to what we're up against here?"

Lex's memory flashed to an intense conversation he had with a teenage Chloe Sullivan, over a dead body no less. It was his first glimpse of her tenacity, but not his last. The room had nearly crackled with the heat of her determination, and perhaps something else…

"Lex?"

Lex snapped back to the present and paused before answering. "I know this: Chloe Sullivan has a knack for finding information that no one wants found."

Bruce didn't seem to be too happy with that response.

* * *

_Wayne Enterprises Manufacturing Complex, area formerly known as Building C, later that day_

Notebook in hand, Chloe made her way around the throng of workers and demotion vehicles gathered outside what had been Building C of the Wayne Manufacturing Complex. After only a few minutes there she was glad she had anticipated the condition of the scene and dressed accordingly: khakis, work boots, and a windbreaker with the Allied Insurance logo on the left front side. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Shortly after she arrived, someone handed her a hard hat. Chloe was glad she wouldn't have to navigate the wet, uneven floor of the building's ruins in three-inch heels and a tight skirt.

After roaming the perimeter for a few minutes, dodging workers hauling debris she finally spotted the man had come to talk to.

"Mr. Thomas Liu? CJ Sullivan from Allied Insurance. My office called and said I was coming." She said, hurrying over the man. He was older, in his fifties, with silver lined black hair and glasses. She extended her hand and the man took it, firmly. Chloe's father had always told her that you could tell a lot about a man from his handshake. At the time, Chloe had brushed it off as one of Gabe's quaint ideas about the world but her years of meeting people and needing to assess them quickly had taught her otherwise. Gabe knew an awful lot when it came right down to it.

"Afternoon, Ms. Sullivan. I did get that message. I was kind of surprised to get it though."

Peering at the man, Chloe decided that Mr. Lui reminded her a lot of her father. The parallels were there. Chloe had, of course, researched the man beforehand and found that he was an eighteen-year employee of Wayne Enterprises. He had been hand-picked by Lucius Fox, Bruce's second in command, to head up the LW Tech plant. He had an impressive education, complete with advanced engineering degrees and certifications. By all accounts, he was loyal, hardworking, and honest. A lifer at Wayne Tech, a company man, just like Gabe.

Filing away that knowledge, Chloe focused on the questions she needed to ask.

"Why did it surprise you, Mr. Lui?"

"Well, it seemed pretty cut and dry. The explosion was an accident. The GCFD signed off on it, I'm not sure what else I can say that can help your investigation."

"You'd be surprised, sir. Sometimes even a minor detail can help in case like this."

Mr. Lui shrugged, "I guess, well, I'll tell you what I know. It's already in the arson report anyway."

"I read that report, thanks. I'm interested in a few items that are outside the scope of that report."

Mr. Lui looked around, apparently looking for someplace where they could talk, away from the hustle of the clean-up crews.

"I wish I could show you to my office but, as you can see, there isn't too much left. Why don't you follow me, we could at least find something for you to lean on, miss."

Chloe resisted the urge to roll her eyes. In anyone else she might look at this as a stalling tactic, but Mr. Lui's demeanor suggested that he was simply trying to be polite and his old-fashioned manners would not allow a female to be uncomfortable in his presence for very long.

She followed him to an area where makeshift benches comprised of partially damaged sheet rock had been set up as a break area for the crew. Mr. Lui motioned for her to sit down and then sat across from her.

"What did you want to ask?"

"Well, to start, I'd like your assessment of the cause of the explosion. The GCFD attributed it to a malfunction in the systems that regulated the climate-controlled zones in the plant. Do you agree with that?"

"There was a complex system in place for climate control, yes. We're not just talking about your basic HVAC. In order to test the durability and performance of our robots in extreme environments, we had to try to simulate those environments here in the plant. For example, Zone 4 was designed to mimic the temperatures in the Arctic. Zone 5 simulated the extreme pressure under the deep Pacific."

"It must have taken a lot of power to provide that degree of simulation," mused Chloe.

"It sure did. The entire subbasement level of the plant housed the computers and generators used in the climate simulations."

"So somewhere among those systems, something went wrong with the climate simulators, leading to the explosion."

"The GCFD says that's the most likely cause."

"And what do you think, Mr. Lui?"

The man looked startled for a minute. "What does it matter what I think? The report…"

"The report was written by people who don't understand your systems, who came in here for about a week and poked around unfamiliar equipment, most of it damaged beyond recognition anyway. As much as I respect the arson squad, it's been my experience that when they use language like the kind used in this report, it means that they aren't 100 sure of anything. You ran this plant, Mr. Lui. Tell me what your gut says."

"I really don't think it's my place to question…"

"No, actually it's _my _place to question it and _I'm _asking you," Chloe snapped back. Then she relaxed, remembering that Mr. Lui would probably not respond well to that. "Sir, you're not doing Wayne Enterprises any good by staying silent. It's in the best interest of the company to cooperate with these questions. The sooner this is over, the better it will be for everyone, especially you and your staff. You'll most likely be able to resume your regular operations, and your regular work schedules,"

That tactic seemed to work, Chloe recognized the change in the plant manager's stance, indicating he was ready to be more open with her.

"It's just that…well, we tested those climate systems for months before they went online. There were redundancies, monitors and fail-safes at every possible weak point. If those systems failed to the degree necessary to cause that explosion, we would have been getting faulty temperature readings days ahead of it."

"And you received none of those warnings?"

"No, miss. So, it's like I said, it's possible that the climate controls malfunctioned, but I'm not sure how likely it is."

"Have you shared these thoughts with anyone else? Your supervisors, perhaps?" asked Chloe.

Mr. Lui shook his head. "No, they seemed pretty content with the arson report. I don't know Mr. Luthor all that well but Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne have been good to me and this team. They've never given me reason not to trust their judgment. Besides, if it wasn't the climate controls, what else could it be? Even the bots themselves don't house enough power to do all this." He gestured around them at the charred remains of the plant.

Chloe nodded and decided to try anther route. "Did anything unusual happen at the plant in the weeks before the explosion?"

"Unusual how?"

"Employees leaving on bad terms, being passed over for promotions, fighting, that kind of thing. Anything that might suggest sabotage?"

"Sabotage?" croaked Mr. Lui. "No, not this crew. I've known most of them for years since we were all together on the Wayne Tech side. They're real team players. It's not possible."

"Anything's possible, sir. I learned that a long time ago," replied Chloe vaguely. She capped the pen that she had been writing with, sensing that she had gotten all she needed from the plant manager.

"I guess, but this crew was still thrilled over the elimination of the third shift. They didn't have anything to be disgruntled about."

Chloe blinked. "Third shift? I thought this plant didn't _have_ a third shift. That's why it was empty when the explosion happened."

"It didn't, not anymore anyway. We added a third shift right before we went public with the bots, anticipating demand and all that. Cut it back about a week before the explosion. Good thing, too. If we hadn't, there would have been at least a hundred people in this place when it went up."

Chloe felt the familiar tightening in her belly, the one she felt each time she found the right direction in a case. There it was, whether she wanted it to be or not.

"Whose decision was it to cut the third shift?" she asked.

Mr. Lui adjusted his hard hat and squinted as he tried to recall. "Ahhh…I think it was…yeah, that's right…It was Mr. Wayne. Sent the email himself as a matter a fact. Even made it effective immediately. I had to call the crew that was scheduled to come in that night and tell them to go back to bed." He laughed at the memory.

'Did he give a reason for the decision?"

"No, not that I recall. But he's the boss, after all, one of them anyway, he doesn't really need a reason, I guess."

End chapter


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Wayne Enterprises Office building…Bruce Wayne's office…the following day…_

"Mr. Wayne, Mr. Luthor is on his way in."

Before Bruce had a chance to respond to his assistant's voice over his intercom, the door to his office burst open and Lex appeared in the doorway. From the speed of his step and his assault on the door, Bruce could tell his friend was annoyed.

"What is so goddamn important that you felt the need to have your assistant page me four times?"

"Our friend the insurance investigator, or should I say _your_ friend?" replied Bruce.

"I can claim no ownership of that woman and I ask again, four times?"

"Next time answer one of the first three. Close the door."

Lex sighed heavily and pushed the door shut and walked over to stand in front of Bruce's desk.

"I'd like to remind you that I don't work for you, Bruce. I don't appreciate being summoned…"

"Save it," interjected Bruce, "We've got bigger problems. This Sullivan woman has decided that investigating the LW Tech explosion isn't enough. She's poking around in my personal finances. My accountant called to inform me of several dozen inquires on my personal holdings, all coming from Allied Insurance."

Bruce's annoyance with the situation only increased when he saw one side of Lex's mouth curl up in amusement. It was about as close to a smile as Lex's face could get, unintentionally, anyway.

"You find this funny? Don't you think she's poking around in your finances, as well?"

Lex slid his hands into his pockets. "I have absolutely no doubt that she's doing that."

"And this doesn't bother you?"

"I didn't say that, I just said I wasn't surprised. One thing you need to know about Chloe Sullivan: she's very…thorough."

Bruce narrowed his eyes and tried to decide how to interpret those words. Lex had insisted that he and Chloe hadn't had a sexual relationship, but Bruce still wasn't sure that Lex didn't feel something for the woman. Not after seeing Lex's reaction when she appeared in his office, and certainly not after Bruce had done a little research of his own into their history.

Without responding to Lex, Bruce reached into his desk drawer and extracted a small remote. He pressed a button and a flat-panel screen rose from a nearby table. The screen flickered on and the image of the woman they had been discussing appeared. She was seated at a desk with a dark-haired young man, discussing something. There were piles of files and papers in front of them, as well as two laptop computers.

Lex squinted a bit as he tried to figure out where the image was coming from. It looked like the office Chloe and her team had been assigned to in the Wayne Building. The young man with Chloe seemed to be discussing financial statements, or rather; he was answering Chloe's questions about them. Lex concluded that the man had to be the equivalent of the scary woman who had been sent to his Luthor Corp office to ransack his financials.

He turned his attention back to Bruce. "Spying on them, are you?"

"You of all people shouldn't lecture me, Lex."

Lex smirked as he stepped closer to the screen "Wouldn't dream of it…it's always a good idea to stay one step head of an adversary…and two steps in front of an ally. Have they said anything that might indicate how far along…?"

He stopped short as he got a better look of the screen. "This a live feed?"

"Of course it is, I have closed circuit cameras throughout this building. As you say, it's always a good idea…" his voice trailed off as he realized that Lex was no longer listening. He was peering at the screen more closely. "What's the matter?"

Lex ignored his question and took a step towards the screen, leaning over to bring his eyes closer. He then stepped back and strode quickly to stand behind Bruce at his desk. "How long have you been watching them?"

"Just under an hour, actually. She only just got back…what the hell are you doing, Luthor?"

Bruce craned his neck to look back at Lex, who by now had his hands shoved in his pockets and was bent slightly at the waist as he squinted at the screen from this new vantage point

"And you've been watching from over here this whole time? From this seat?"

"Well…yes…what does that have to do with anything?"

Lex smirked again. "Has either of them said anything that might indicate how their investigation is progressing?"

"Not really, they've been discussing the financials most of the time, but as I said, she's only just gotten here…"

"They won't say anything. I guarantee it. She won't give anything away, Bruce. She knows you're watching her."

"That's impossible, the camera is hidden…"

"Doesn't matter, she still knows. Go see for yourself."

Bruce glared at him as he got up from his chair and walked closer to the screen. Sure enough, on the monitor of the laptop closest to Chloe were a few lines of text, typed in a large font to be clearly visible…at least to anyone close enough to the screen. Unfortunately, Bruce had not been close enough until now.

The message was…colorfully worded, to say the least.

Bruce turned to Lex. "I believe she meant that message for _both_ of us; she did use the plural 'yourselves', after all."

"That she did. And I'm sure she meant that other part figuratively."

Bruce ignored Lex's quip. "How could she possibly know that we'd be watching her?"

"She couldn't know for sure but she probably guessed that it was likely. I told you, she's thorough." Lex glanced at the screen again before slipping his hands back into his pockets. "If that's all you needed, I have actual work I could be doing…"

"Wait a minute, Luthor. You're not just going to walk in here, deliver some selective pearls of wisdom about this woman and walk out – not with what we're up against here. You know so much about her, then it's about time _you_ did something about it."

"I do not claim to be an expert on Chloe Sullivan, Bruce. I haven't seen the woman in ten years!"

Behind them, they could both hear Chloe laugh at something her companion had said, but she could just as easily be laughing at them.

"Expert or not, you have a connection to her. It's time you used it."

* * *

_Later that evening…Chloe's apartment…_

"Cee-Jay…What are you doing?" Danny said with exaggerated exasperation.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Powering up your laptop."

"Well then, even an accountant such as yourself should be able to deduce that I am, in fact, powering up my laptop."

"Why are you powering up your laptop?"

"I find it's much more useful as an electronic device that way. Turned off, it's more or less a coaster, don't you think?"

"CJ, be serious." Danny said, his voice becoming dangerously close to a whine. "When you asked me back your place for dinner, I assumed we might actually _eat_ dinner, or at least relax a little and forget about the case for a bit."

"You assume too much," murmured Chloe, trying to concentrate on establishing her wireless connection, rather than on Danny's constant questions. "It's a bad habit."

Once it was established she placed the machine back on the coffee table and hunched over it slightly, her feet partially tucked under her. She entered a series of IP directions and after a moment, a login screen appeared. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Danny's mouth fall open as he recognized the domain.

"CJ!? What are you doing?"

She ignored him, and produced a CD from a compartment in her laptop case. She inserted the CD. The program it contained immediately started itself up and began entering a series of login combinations into the screen, flashing by at an immeasurable speed.

Chloe tilted her head towards Danny with a wry grin on her face. "Pesky passwords. I find it's best to skip them altogether whenever possible."

Danny looked at her with a mixture of confusion and awe. "Why do I get the feeling that you have done this before?"

The laptop beeped, indicating the algorithm had met with success.

Chloe smiled. "I've been doing this for a long time, Danny. Longer than you can imagine. Of course, I don't really advertise that I can do this. Only a handful of people know and I prefer to keep it that way."

Danny nodded, seeming to get the message. "But why do you need to do it in the first place? We've already been granted access to their files. They allowed our IT specialists to comb through their servers, email, the whole nine yards."

"What did I just say? Never assume, that a client actually gives you what you're entitled to, especially if they have something to hide."

"You think these guys have something to hide?" he asked, nodding towards the logo on the screen.

"I think everyone has something to hide."

"That's quite the attitude to take in life, CJ."

Chloe shrugged in reply, as she clicked past the next set of screens. "It's rarely steered me wrong, particularly in this line of work."

"So what are you looking for here?"

"What they don't want us to see."

"Good, as long as you're specific." Danny replied dryly, and with a more than a touch of frustration. Chloe felt a little guilty for that but it couldn't be helped. It was hard for her to put into words just what she thought she would find in this particular investigation. She would know when she found it…

Chloe sighed, her impatience clear, although some of it was with Danny's questions and some of it was the result to the complicated file structure on the Wayne Enterprises network she had just hacked into. But since Danny insisted on hovering, just as he had insisted they have dinner tonight, rather than waste energy arguing, she'd put up with his questions and channel her energy into the task at hand. It wasn't so bad to have someone to talk to as she worked. Investigating could be lonely at times. She decided to ease his frustration a bit by giving him some background on her present task.

"OK, here's the thing. A few years back, when the FBI, the SEC and every other federal agency started requiring that corporations archive their email and other computer files in case of litigation, some of these companies found ways to comply with the letter of the law but not so much the spirit of it. They hid their most sensitive documents behind mazes of server partitions, firewalls and what have you. They could say that the data was there, just a bit hard to find. There are a number of data archive companies that specialize in mapping out corporate servers so even a government techie working under a federal subpoena would have a bitch of a time finding sensitive information. If you can't find it, it can't be used in court but if someone finds it later, the company can always claim that it was there all along and the federal geeks just didn't look hard enough."

"So what kind of information usually gets hidden like this?"

"Strategic plans, I guess. Executive emails, anything questionable that you don't want too many people to see but, due to the nature of technology, copies get kept somewhere."

"And you know all this, how?'

Chloe smiled. "What can I say, some kids went to pep rallies in high school, I hacked into the networks of Fortune 500 companies." At Danny's incredulous look, she only shrugged.

There were a few moments of silence as Chloe clicked through the maze of files and Danny leaned back on the sofa to absorb the information.

"Hmmmm."

"Hmmmm, what?"

"There's a discrepancy here between the amount of space that the servers say is being used by data and the amount of space taken up by the files I can see."

"And that means…"

"There's a hidden partition in here somewhere. I just have to find it." Chloe heard a faint gurgle and too late realized that it was Danny's stomach. She continued to click as he shifted in his seat. She held out faint hope that he would be able to delay the needs of his stomach for a bit longer.

No such luck.

"I don't mean to be a nudge here, CJ, but your invitation to dinner at your place tonight is noticeably lacking in the dinner part."

The right path was there somewhere, she just had to find it…

"CJ?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Food?"

"Food?"

"Yes, food. Some of us need more than a hot case for sustenance, you know."

Right, food. Well, if it would get him out of her hair long enough to concentrate on finding the right path…Chloe leaned over and gave Danny a quick peck on his cheek. "Sorry, about that. I'm a little wrapped up in this. Be a dear and order us some takeout. There are menus in the top drawer in the kitchen, right hand side."

Again, out of the corner of her eye, Chloe saw Danny hesitate for a moment, as if stunned, before he rose from her sofa and made his way back to her kitchen. Now alone, she focused on finding different combinations of paths until she found the one to the hidden partition.

After a bit, she became aware of Danny shouting out food options to her. Something about Thai, pizza, or deli.

"Just surprise me," she called out, as her fingers flew over the keys. He shouted something back to her but she barely heard it. One of the file folders that appeared to be empty had finally given way to another area – the hidden area.

"That's right, you stupid server. I've got you now!"

Chloe immediately identified the various types of files located in the hidden area and mentally arranged them in order of importance. The emails, she decided, would probably hold give her the most direction as to where to go next. She quickly typed in the commands needed to copy the contents of the hidden area to her computer's drive. It shouldn't take long, and then she could…

Once again, Danny's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ummm…CJ?"

Chloe sighed heavily but did not turn around. "For the love of… Danny, I don't care where you order from. I said, just surprise me."

"Actually, I think that's my job."

She froze. That was not Danny's voice. Unfortunately, the voice was very familiar.

Very slowly, as if trying to prolong the inevitable, she turned and came eye to eye with Lex Luthor. In her apartment. How he had found it was anyone's guess. The fact was, he was there now.

He was standing in her living room, cool as can be and with the long perfected smirk well in place as he spoke again. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

End chapter.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It hadn't been easy to find Chloe J. Sullivan's current home address. Lex's investigator had run into obstacle after obstacle.

Her bank and credit card statements were delivered to Allied Insurance headquarters. She drove a company car. Even her driver's license listed her work address. There were no traces of her voting records for at least the past six years and no indication of a home being owned or leased in her name in at least five. Her father was the only traceable living family member, but he lived across the country in California.

It was all a bit disturbing to Lex that Chloe would go to these lengths to hide herself. And from whom? His investigator had joked about it, "What the hell, does this chick live in a broom closet at the Allied Insurance building?" Then the man had wisely shut up off Lex's annoyed look and had gone back to the business of finding her. Which, he eventually had, but only after Lex provided some key insight into her character in order to make a connection.

As it turned out, her home wasn't a broom closet at all. It was stylish loft apartment in one of Gotham's artier districts. Lex's knowledge of real estate told him exactly how many zeros had been on the check to purchase the place and he was duly impressed. Allied had purchased it for Chloe, through a variety of holding companies, and then further buried the transaction through some other resales. The mess took several hours to unravel. Someone had gone though a lot of trouble to make sure that no one knew where Chloe lived.

He couldn't blame her for being surprised to see him there.

And she had looked surprised, even shocked, but only for a moment. Then she just looked angry. But it was not the kind of explosive Chloe Sullivan anger Lex remembered, having witnessed it on several occasions. It was a calmer, more smoldering anger that seemed to settle just behind her eyes as she watched him.

The accountant guy, the ridiculously handsome accountant who had been fawning over Chloe all day, spoke first, albeit haltingly.

"CJ? I guess you didn't hear the doorbell. He…uh…said you were expecting him."

"He lied," replied Chloe, her eyes still on Lex. "And he's not staying either."

"Actually," Lex sidestepped his way around Danny, 'I thought I might stay for a bit. Nice place, by the way, a bit hard to find but that has nothing to do with the architecture."

"Obviously not hard enough. Mr. Luthor, if you would please leave. If you feel a need to talk to me about the investigation, we can do that tomorrow at the office."

Mr. Luthor? Her formal use of his name made him suspect that she hadn't exactly been forthcoming with the rest of her team about their previous relationship.

Lex rounded the plush sofa in the living room and settled very close to where Chloe still stood, crossing his ankle over his knee.

"Mr. Luthor's a bit formal for us, don't you think, Chloe? You and I go back a long time; too long for us not to be on a first name basis, no matter what the circumstances."

Chloe flinched, almost imperceptibly, but Lex could tell that he had annoyed her by saying what he did in front of her colleague.

Danny's interest was now piqued. "CJ? You know Lex Luthor?"

"Correction, I _knew_ Lex Luthor, a long time ago. And not very well." Chloe replied.

Lex couldn't tell whether Chloe was trying to rouse him with her words or simply convince Danny.

"Chloe, you wound me!" he exclaimed, placing his hand over his chest theatrically. He turned slightly to face Danny. "Chloe and I have known each other a long time. How many years is it now? Ten? Twelve? Perhaps even longer. After all, when we met you were only…"

"Just get to the point, Lex. I don't have time for this. What do you want?"

"Don't have time?" Lex directed his gaze at the laptop Chloe had been hovering over when he came in. "Ah, I see. I was interrupting your…work. My apologies." He made no attempt to hide his interest in the contents of the screen and was rewarded with a strong reaction from Chloe. Quickly, she closed the gap between them and snapped the screen of the computer down. With her face now only a few inches from him she whispered harshly at him.

"What. Do. You. Want?"

"To talk you. Alone. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." Lex whispered back so only she could hear him. Danny was still on the other side of the couch, watching the exchange warily.

Chloe looked uncertain. "Why couldn't you talk to me at the office?"

"You know exactly why. The walls there have ears. Now unless you'd like me to start reminiscing about old times in front of your colleague there, you'll get rid of him so we can talk."

Chloe shook her head. "No. You're not staying here. This is my home and I didn't invite you."

"Chloe…"

"CJ, is everything OK?"

"Everything's fine, Danny." Chloe rose from the crouched stance she had assumed to talk to Lex.

"Mr. Luthor and I are heading downstairs to the café on the corner. We'll talk there."

"Chloe…"

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Danny wanted to know.

"NO!" Lex and Chloe told him at once and he unconsciously took a step back.

Chloe grabbed her jacket from where it lay on the arm of the sofa and slipped it on as she walked towards the door. Lex rose to follow her. He reached to help her on with her jacket, then thought better of it.

"We'll take a raincheck on dinner, Dan."

"I should come with you…I mean, if it's about the case, I should be there too…" Danny stammered with slightly downcast eyes. Lex suppressed an eye roll. All this accountant guy needed was an overgrown hairstyle and a red T-shirt.

"No, I can handle this myself."

"CJ, don't I have a right to know what's happening here, too?"

"No, you have a right to listen to me when I say I'll handle it." Chloe scooped up Danny's jacket from a nearby chair and dropped it in his hands. "Go home, Danny. We'll talk later."

Looking slightly bewildered and a little hurt. Danny acquiesced. "OK, I'll call you later, then." Danny shot a final suspicious look at Lex, who couldn't resist one last dig at Chloe's handsome colleague.

He tapped his own cheek with his index finger. "Hey, you got a little something…right here. Lipstick really isn't my thing but I understand some guys like to experiment. Who am I to judge?"

Scowling and rubbing his cheek, Danny stalked out without another word to Lex.

Lex indulged in a satisfying smirk before he realized that Chloe was glaring up at him.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked.

"Probably not, but it was still fun."

Chloe shook her head and gave him a slight shove out her front door that Lex couldn't help but categorize as just a bit playful. At least he hoped it was.

The journey downstairs, however, did little to raise his hopes about her attitude towards him. Chloe stared straight ahead during the elevator ride down, walked briskly to the small café on the corner, paying no attention to whether Lex was in step with her. She gestured wordlessly to a vacant and secluded table in the corner indicating that he should sit while she got some coffee for them both.

When she finally joined him, her eyes were dull as she plunked down two oversized mugs and slid into the seat. As the table was in the corner, she sat not across from him but at 90-degree angle, giving Lex a view of her profile as she prepared her coffee to her liking.

He must have taken too long in studying her because she looked sharply at him, mid-stir.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what?"

"What are you looking at?"

"You."

"Why?"

"I didn't realize that one of the requirements of this conversation was that we not look at one another."

Chloe shook her head slightly. "It's not, but you were staring. It's distracting."

"Your hair's longer. I don't think I've ever seen it this long before. You…always seemed to keep it short in Smallville."

"Smallville was four years of my life. It's been ten since we've seen each other. Don't be surprised if things changed."

She wasn't talking about her hair. Time to change the focus, Lex decided.

"They don't know, do they?"

"Now what are you talking about?"

"Your colleagues at Allied, they don't know that you and I knew each other from before. That much was clear from your accountant friend upstairs. By the way, don't think I didn't notice that the accountant you sent to Luthor Corp. looked like Attila the Hun but the one you kept to work with you looks like he doubles as a Calvin Klein underwear model."

"Would you like me to set you and Danny up?" she mocked.

"No, it's quite alright, he's not my type, but he seems to be yours. Besides, you didn't answer my question."

"My type? What the hell do you know about my type?"

Lex's confidence increased. He had successfully distracted and agitated her.

"I know a little about your type. Tall, dark, handsome, heroic, and just a bit light on intelligence. Sound familiar?"

Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it again and took a long sip from her coffee. When she swallowed, she said, "You're trying to bait me, which probably isn't the wisest thing to do given that you want something from me."

Lex looked down at his coffee. She was right, he did want something, but given her demeanor towards him, it was anyone's guess whether he'd get it.

"Answer my question, then. Do the people you work for know about us?"

"There's an us? That's news to me."

"Chloe, don't…"

"Don't what?"

Lord, she was determined to be difficult, wasn't she?

"Do they know that we're not exactly strangers? Should you even be involved in this investigation, let alone heading it?"

"My boss is aware of my familiarity with the Luthor family. It came up in my background check. It's not something I can really hide. And as for whether I should be on this case, that was his decision. I'm the best he has so the need to resolve this case trumped a ten-year old acquaintance."

'A ten-year old acquaintance?' That's what she was calling it?

"And your colleagues?"

"Don't know. I don't go out of my way to investigate their pasts so I doubt that they investigate mine. Besides, I'm not really close to anyone else at Allied besides…"

"Your friend Danny?" Lex finished for her, running his index finger around the rim of his cup

She frowned. "I answered your question, Lex. Now tell me why you went through all the trouble of finding me."

"Why was it so hard to find you, Chloe? Are you hiding from someone?"

"Hiding is impossible. Your father taught me that."

Lex frowned at her flat tone but nodded to her to continue.

"I do, however, try to make it difficult for people to find me. I investigate people who have done desperate things, and often they're willing to do them again. Most of the time, I'm the only thing standing between them and a great deal of money. You're smart, you do the math. If one of those people wants to find me, I'd prefer that it be a little harder to do than looking in the phone book."

She took a sip of her coffee. "So congratulations, you found me. Now tell me why. I'll worry about the how later."

"I …I need to know that you aren't letting our 'ten-year old acquaintance' influence your investigation."

"You're joking, right?"

"Chloe, whether you advertise it our not, you and I went through a lot together back in Smallville. We were even what you might call close for a time there. Since you walked into Wayne Enterprises the other day, you've certainly been less than friendly towards me. I need to know that this isn't personal. That you aren't going to let something that happened a decade ago affect… Well, let's just say that LW Tech is going to be very important to a lot of people."

"Something that happened ten years ago? You really do think the world revolves around you, don't you, Lex? For your information, I haven't treated you or your buddy Wayne any differently than I treat any other client under investigation. I've learned that I need to go in and get the upper hand and keep it if I'm going to get the truth out of people like you. If you categorize that as 'less than friendly' then that's your problem. I'm here to do a job."

"Chloe..."

"I'm not finished. As for what happened back in Smallville, I've left that relationship, such that it was, back in that freaky town. And you've got some nerve barging into my home dangling some dead memories in my face to try to save your company." As she spoke, Chloe pulled some bills out of her wallet and dropped them on the table. Before Lex realized what had happened she was on her way out of the cafe.

"Shit!" Lex muttered, dropping bills of his own on the table and following her. He caught up with her just outside the café, grabbing her hand to stop her.

"Chloe, hear me out! We were _friends_ for God's sake…I can't say that about I lot of people but…"

Chloe tried to jerk her wrist away but he held fast. "Maybe you don't have many friends because you toss them away like trash when they cease to be of use to you," she spat out.

Lex felt his throat closing up. This was his worst fear, but what he had suspected all along. Chloe hadn't understood why he had to take a step back from their relationship. She had jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

"That's not what happened, Chloe, I swear it. I went to Metropolis to find you after you left, to explain why I needed to stop contacting you. You were already gone. You have to believe that I wasn't using you, I really wanted you…as my friend."

Her back was to the outer wall of the café and he was standing inches in front of her. For a moment, it seemed to Lex that Chloe believed him, her eyes were scanning his face for something, a sign perhaps. He raised his free hand to her face and cupped it against her cheek. Chloe immediately reached up and covered his hand with her own.

His eyes locked with hers and for a minute she looked very much like the brave young girl in the courthouse hallway. Wide-eyed, questioning, yet determined…

Chloe's nails bit into his hand and she pushed him roughly away from her. "Even if I believe that, the reason you're here now if that I'm all that's standing between you and a $200 million dollar embarrassment for your company. I'm not stupid, Lex."

Rubbing his wounded hands, Lex shook his head, "Believe what you want to believe then, but understand that there are larger issues at stake here than you and I. You have to respect that."

"I respect the truth, that hasn't changed."

"And I respect you, Chloe. I always have," Lex answered.

Chloe didn't respond; she merely turned on her heel and walked back towards her apartment, and away from him.

* * *

_Later that night…the balcony outside Chloe's apartment…_

Batman landed on the balcony almost soundlessly, as he had trained himself to do. Finding Chloe Sullivan had not been a problem for him. When, upon his first inquiries into her identity several nights earlier, he found no home address, he decided that he would need to take a more direct approach in locating her home.

Today, after being frustrated and somewhat embarrassed that the woman had outwitted him at his attempted surveillance as Bruce Wayne, he had regrouped. He had slipped into her office at Wayne Corp. and hidden a bat-tracer deep in the lining of her laptop case.

After dark, Batman had followed the beacon to Chloe's loft and maintained a safe surveillance distance perched in the shadows on the roof of the building across the street. He had observed with interest what appeared to be some sort of confrontation between Chloe and Lex Luthor. Batman's eyes had narrowed under his cowl as he watched the two figures drift closer together, then jump apart violently. There was too much ambient noise for any of his long range listening devices to work properly. As a result, the specifics of their discussion were a mystery but their body language told him a different story.

Chloe Sullivan and Lex Luthor had a history, perhaps even two: one they acknowledged and one that they did not, at least consciously. Getting more information about that from them would be a job for Bruce Wayne…eventually.

Batman had watched as Chloe abruptly ended the mysterious conversation and re-entered her apartment building. He swung down a level on his building to get a clearer view through the glass balcony doors leading to her living room.

She occupied a spacious loft, thankfully on an upper floor. The first level consisted of a kitchen, dining room, and living room and what appeared to be closets. There was a large, open staircase leading up to the loft area, which he could see housed her bedroom and master bath.

Her apartment entrances were wired with alarms, he discovered, watching her enter a code into the keypad by the door as she walked in. It seemed to be one of those systems that allowed the owner a five-to-ten second window to begin entering the code before it sounded. He didn't bother to memorize the code; he had a way around such devices anyway. He was more interested in the fact that she made a beeline for her laptop, even before shrugging out of her coat.

One thing he had learned about Chloe in the past few days was that she was seldom, if ever, far away from her laptop. Batman had concluded that the key to deciding what to do about Chloe Sullivan was finding out how much she knew; and what she knew was in that laptop.

Patience was a one of the most important traits that any detective needed to have and that night, Chloe unwittingly tried the Batman's. She'd worked for two more hours before finally getting ready for bed. Batman, agitated that he had been forced to sit out two robberies and a police chase in order to maintain surveillance on her, felt immense relief when the apartment went dark at last.

He had let some more time go by to allow her to slip into what he hoped was a deep sleep before shooting a line to the ledge just above her balcony and swinging over.

Treading lightly on the stone balcony, he pulled two thin pieces of metal and a small black box out of his utility belt. The two pieces of metal made quick work of the locks and, upon sliding the glass panels to the side, Batman quickly attached the box to the electronic alarm access panel. The de-scrambler disabled the alarm in less than four seconds.

The light through the balcony windows was just enough to guide his path around the living room to his target, right where she had left it on the coffee table.

Batman carried his weight so that his feet made barely any noise at all on the loft's hardwood floors. They barely made any more noise than the rustling of his cape swirling around him as he crouched in front of the computer and found an access port with practiced, gloved fingers. He extracted another device from his belt and plugged it into the port. The green light that flashed indicated that the devise was doing its job, specifically, copying the contents of the machine's drives onto itself without leaving any indication that the computer had ever been turned on.

The process would take less than a couple of minutes to complete but he was even uncomfortable with that length of time. He had no idea how deep of a sleeper Chloe Sullivan was and he wanted to accomplish this cleanly.

As the device worked, Batman looked around the darkened apartment to find some clues about its owner. She apparently lived alone. There was no trace of a lover, spouse, or even a roommate. He has suspected as much since no such person came up in the background detail but the singular taste of the belongings confirmed that.

It was expensively furnished, indicating that she was doing well financially, but Batman already knew that much as well from viewing her tax return for the previous year. Allied paid her handsomely.

If he had more time, he would have searched her apartment thoroughly to get a better view of her character but now was not the time. The device's light flashed red and Batman disconnected it and slipped it back into his belt. He heard the rustling of sheets coming from the loft above and he rose quickly and went to the wall. He re-armed the alarm using his de-scrambler and disconnected it. He exited through the balcony doors, shutting them behind them without a sound. He had been in Chloe Sullivan's apartment fewer than five or six minutes. There was virtually no chance that he had been detected. Still…he could never be sure.

* * *

_Next morning…Allied Insurance HQ..._

Chloe pushed open the door to her boss's office without bothering to knock. Ted was in the middle of a sip of his morning coffee and was startled to the point of dribbling some of the hot liquid down his chin.

Dabbing at his face with a tissue, he frowned at Chloe. "Top investigator or not, CJ, knocking is still a good idea, especially at this time of the morning."

"You know Jim Gordon, right?" she asked, ignoring his advice.

"Captain Jim Gordon? Yeah, we were in the one-eight together before I left the force. We deliver the occasional fraud case to his division, nice and tight just like the PD likes them. I haven't talked to old Jim in…"

"Get him up here. I need to talk to him right away," interrupted Chloe, crossing her arms in from of her.

Ted raised his eyebrows at her. "You going to tell me what this is about?"

"His buddy the Batman broke into my apartment last night and I want to know why."

End chapter.


	7. Chapter 6

AN: I love Jim Gordon. He's one of the great non-costumed characters in the DCU. I hope you guys like my version of him, which is part-animated universe, part-comics, plus a dash of Gary Oldman-_Batman Begins_ for flavor.

**Chapter 6**

_Allied insurance HQ…Ted Dandridge's office…some time later…_

"Let me get this straight, you woke up in your apartment last night, realized that Batman was there, and did…nothing?" Ted asked.

"Ted, the next time you wake up and realize that there's a six-foot bat in your house, you can judge me. In the meantime, just listen. I don't know him from Dracula. The papers say he's a vigilante but for all I know, the guy's psycho-ceramic!"

"Psycho-ceramic?" interjected Captain Jim Gordon, a tall, broad man, with salty dark hair and thick mustache.

"A crack pot," clarified Ted, sparing a glance at the Captain.

"Oh."

Chloe turned to Gordon. "Look, I didn't do anything because it became clear that he wasn't there to scare me or get anything from me. He wanted something from my apartment. I figured if I stayed quiet long enough, I could find out what that was."

"And did you?"

"No, whatever he was looking for, he must have found it before I woke up. By the time I could get in position to see what he was doing, he was already letting himself out through the balcony doors."

"And you're certain it was Batman?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Is there more than one guy with pointy ears and a black cape who creeps around rooftops at night?"

"You never know in this town," muttered Ted.

"Captain," Chloe continued, "You know Batman better than anyone. Do you have any idea what he would want with me?"

Gordon sighed and put the pad he had been writing on back into the pocket of his trench coat. "I have been dealing with Batman for a while now but that doesn't mean I have any more insight into what he does on a given night than anyone else. I want to help you out, I really do, but I'm not sure what I can tell you, Miss Sullivan."

"Jim, don't forget that Allied has helped your department out on a number of occasions. CJ's working a very important case right now and I've got a feeling that the Bat's sudden interest in her has something to do with it. Now you'd tell us if she was in any danger from this guy, right?" Ted asked.

"The Batman's not out to hurt people…well, not law-abiding people anyway. He's a good guy. I've put my badge on the line for him many times." Gordon said firmly.

"Well, that's very reassuring but it doesn't explain why he broke into my apartment." Chloe said sarcastically. She was then struck with a thought. "You know how to contact him, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"Well then, there you go, just ask him!"

"Excuse me?"

"It's called the direct approach, Captain. Perhaps you've heard of it. Just ask him what he was doing in my apartment. He'll answer you; you're his legitimacy in this town. Just turn on your little signal-thingy and have a chat, man-to-man. Or rather, man-to-Bat."

"I'm not so sure that he will…"

"Jim, come on. The Gotham PD owes us this much at least. If not for CJ's peace of mind, then do it for the case. Our investigation into that explosion might very well hinge on this."

Gordon let out a deep breath. "I'm aware of that."

* * *

_Wayne Enterprises Building…later that day…_

It was almost eleven by the time Chloe arrived at the offices she was using in the Wayne Corp. building. Not surprisingly, Danny was already pacing the office waiting for her.

"Where have you been?" he demanded as soon as she entered. "I've been worried sick about you!"

"Is it Cliché Day and no one told me? C'mon, Danny, you can do better than that."

Danny frowned at her.

"I left you a message this morning telling you that I was going to Allied first thing. There was no reason to get all excited." Chloe set her laptop case on the table and slipped out of her suit jacket, revealing a red-button down shirt with French cuffs.

"New shirt?" asked Danny.

Chloe looked down and shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

"You don't wear red a whole lot. You should, it looks good on you," he replied. "Anyway, sorry if my way of expressing my concern wasn't exactly original but you can't blame me for being worried. Lex Luthor, the subject of our investigation, shows up your apartment unannounced and acting like you guys are old friends. You kick me out without so much as an explanation, you never call me to say you're OK and then you leave me some cryptic message at six a.m. saying you'll be at Allied all morning. What am I supposed to think?"

Chloe flicked some hair from her face and looked Danny in the eyes. "You're supposed to trust me."

"Am I really?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you've been keeping things from me and probably the rest of the team. You never told us you knew Luthor before this case. That's a big detail to leave out, CJ!"

"Dandridge knew and he's the one who assigned me this case." She paused, "Alright, just sit down."

Danny lowered himself into a nearby chair and Chloe slid up onto the desk.

"Here's the Cliffs Notes version: I know I told you that I'm from Metropolis, and that's true but I went to high school in a town in Kansas called Smallville. I only lived there for about four years."

"Smallville, KS? Isn't that where all those meteors hit about twenty years ago? I think I read about it in my geology class in college."

"Yeah, the meteors," muttered Chloe. "Smallville's claim to fame. Anyway, Luthor Corp. operated a plant there back then. My dad was the plant foreman and Lex ran it."

"So that's where you know him from? He was your dad's boss?"

Chloe titled her head and bit her bottom lip. "Yeah, sort of. We had some mutual friends; it was a really small town…"

"Hence the name?"

"Uh…right. For a small town, there was a lot going on, though. Without going into too much detail, some of the stuff that went on wasn't exactly legal. Or explainable. I managed to witness some of it and it turned out that Lex's father was behind some of the really bad stuff. Long story short, Lionel Luthor tried to kill my father and me but Lex managed to hide us for a while. When we came out of hiding, I testified at Lionel Luthor's trial, and, as a result, he got sent to prison. You know the rest."

"You sent Lionel Luthor to prison? THE Lionel Luthor?" Danny choked out.

"I told you, it's the Cliffs Notes version. There was a lot going on that I really can't go into right now…"

"CJ, why are you even on this case? That's a pretty big connection to have with someone like Lex Luthor…" Danny stopped short and looked up at Chloe. "That is your only connection, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I may be paranoid, but Lex seemed pretty…possessive of you last night, almost like you and he had something going on."

Chloe looked away and Danny leaned forward to try to reestablish eye contact.

"Did you?"

"You are being paranoid but that's what they pay us the big bucks for, right?" she said, fighting to keep her voice light. "Hey, it's the obvious question right? Most of the time it is the right answer but not in this case. Lex Luthor and I were never involved that way, I assure you. And I haven't seen him in ten years. Not even once."

Danny shook his head. "That doesn't mean he wasn't interested. Or that he's not still interested now. You need to be careful with him. The guy creeps me out, CJ. In fact, I'm sorry I left you alone with him last night."

Chloe slid off the desk. "Danny, you're acting like a jealous boyfriend."

"And what if I am? And what's wrong with that?"

"Because…you don't have a right to be either."

They were both silent as Chloe's words sunk in. Danny looked expectantly at her, as if he was waiting for her to take them back. When she didn't, he nodded to himself and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm going to head over to the HR office," he said tightly. "They called earlier and said they had those employee records you asked for. I'll go pick them up."

"Danny…"

"Thanks for telling me…that stuff. I'll see you later."

Chloe pressed her palm to her forehead. 'Why did men have to make things so complicated?' She had thought that Danny's flirting was harmless but lately it appeared that he had stepped up the intensity of his attentions. She probably would have had to shoot him down sooner or lately. She just questioned the wisdom of having it happen in the middle of such a big case.

* * *

_Wayne Corp. building…Later that evening…_

Lex stood in the doorway of Chloe's office silently observing her for a moment before he knocked. To his immense relief, her accountant friend was nowhere to be seen. She was immersed in something on her laptop; reading, not typing, it appeared. Her face was expressionless, giving nothing away about what she might be looking at.

He rapped on the door with his knuckles, then flattened out his hands in the air so she could see him.

"Are you going to injure the other hand if I come in?" he quipped, indicated the hand she had scratched the night before.

"Are you sure you want to risk it?" she quipped back.

"Well, I think you're worth it," he drawled stepped further inside and pushing the door closed behind him.

"I wasn't aware that we had anything else to talk about. At least not anything that we couldn't say with the door _open._" Chloe said, closing the lid on her laptop.

Lex noted the deliberate movement. "You can't be too careful. Especially not in this building. You know that."

"I'll have you know I had the cameras in this room pulled this morning. Lucius Fox assured me that it was an oversight that they were left in here at all."

"Of course it was." Lex agreed, tongue firmly in cheek.

"Actually, I meant to ask you a question."

"Ask away."

"How did you find me last night, anyway? I know that it's not impossible to do but I'd like to know all the same."

"You were well hidden. All the major items – driver's license, bills, etc. - were well covered but your… charitable nature gave you away."

Chloe furrowed her brow. "My charitable nature?"

"Two years ago, a C.J. Sullivan gave $5,000 to the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial at the Newseum in Washington D.C. Now, how many C.J. Sullivans would donate that amount to an international charity that pays tribute to journalists who've died while trying to report the news?"

Chloe only frowned at him.

"Your address was in their database. Rest assured, though; I doubt that anyone who didn't know you would have made that connection."

"You should leave now." Chloe replied.

"No. I answered your question; you can answer mine, can't you? Are you feeling a bit more open today?"

"More open to what? To allowing you to try and sway this investigation one way or another? I wouldn't count on it."

"I'm not trying to sway you; I'm just trying to get you to look at this logically. Why would anyone here want that plant destroyed? Our companies stand to make a great deal of money off this venture. Far more than $200 million dollars."

Chloe rested her chin in her hand. "Maybe it's not about the money. Maybe it's about something more important than money."

Lex swallowed. "Like what?"

"I don't know, you tell me. You're the expert."

Lex planted his hands on the desk and leaned forward on them. "You need to be more specific, I'm an expert on quite a few things."

Chloe looked up at him and then rolled her eyes. "I know you are, and that is why I'm here. You're a brilliant businessman, Lex. You surround yourself with brilliant people. Maybe the bunch of you just decided that you could outsmart everyone."

"We probably could, but is it logical that we would destroy our own property to do it? Come on. Chloe, you don't believe that."

"You'd be surprised what I believe. For example, I believe that logic is misleading," replied Chloe, rising from her desk. "Most of the things I saw before the age of eighteen defied logic."

"Fair point but this isn't Smallville."

"Exactly, and I'm not a naïve eighteen year old."

"You were never naïve, Chloe."

"Wasn't I? I trusted Clark. I trusted Lionel, and I trusted you."

"Lumping me in with them again? I told you last night, I never intended to lose your friendship. It meant…it means a great deal to me."

"You used the wrong tense there, Lex. In case you missed the memo, you and I can't be friends anymore, even if I wanted to. I'm here to do a job. I've already spent too much time talking with you about this," Chloe said, shaking herself slightly and returning to her seat.

Lex followed her. It hadn't escaped his observation how she had unconsciously drifted closer to him as they spoke. He needed to re-establish the connection. When she turned again in front of her chair, he was right behind her. She blinked and sat down to put some distance between them.

"We communicated pretty well, didn't we? I seem to remember that we could talk for hours." He crouched down in front of her to look her in the eye.

"Perhaps, but not about the things that mattered."

Lex nodded and placed a hand on her knee. Her body felt warm, even through the cloth of her pants. To his surprise, she didn't jerk or shake off his hand.

"That's my fault. I shouldn't have expected you to simply know why I needed to put some space between us. It was that town, Chloe. Even though were we careful when you came back, the rumors were everywhere. I know you heard them too. I thought it would be better if we just took a step back until you left for school. I was planning on leaving then Smallville anyway. I just assumed you would understand. You always seemed to understand everything else about me."

"Lex, don't…"

"Don't what? Don't tell you that I missed you?" Lex placed his other hand under her chin, with his thumb stroking her jawline. "Ten years is too long to go without a best friend, Chloe."

When she didn't answer, he pressed on. "You want to believe me, I know you do."

Chloe shook her head, but still didn't pull away. "I can't."

"What can I say to make you believe me?"

Chloe opened her mouth to speak but it was a male voice that ultimately broke the silence.

"CJ? You still here? I got those…" started Danny as he opened the door and stopped in his tracks when he noticed that Chloe was not alone.

"I guess I should have knocked," the younger man said softly.

Lex dropped his hands and rose to his feet. "You'll know for next time," he told Danny.

Before either man could say another word, Chloe rose to her feet and began packing her laptop away.

"Actually, I have to leave anyway. I…lost track of time here. There's some place I need to be."

She pulled on her jacket and slung her purse over her shoulder.

Lex placed his hand on her arm as she moved past him.

"Can we finish this conversation later?"

"I…I don't know where I'll be later," was all she replied. Lex noticed that she didn't look at Danny as she left.

Danny, for his part, seemed capable of little more than throwing a stony glare at Lex. Lex had no time for posturing, which he made clear by saying to Danny, "Stay out of this. This isn't about you."

"That doesn't matter. If it's about her, then I can't stay out of it."

"Fine, have it your way but don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

_Gotham City Police HQ…later that night…_

All investigators have their own tools of the trade, gizmos, gadgets and other paraphernalia that help them perform the job of gathering information that they aren't supposed to find. Certain things were almost universal: mini recorders and listening devices, cameras, lock-picks, hand-held scanners, etc. And of course, there are the disguises. Once again, every investigator has their favorites. Chloe's was the classic janitor, she owned three janitor disguises and kept one in the trunk of her car at all times. To her, it had proved to be the next best thing to truly being invisible. She always marveled at the tendency that most people had of looking right through those who had the unenviable task of cleaning up after them.

Chloe drove straight from Wayne Corp. to Gotham Police headquarters. She changed in her car, slipping out of her work clothes and into the baggy janitor's jumper and a pair of ancient tennis shoes. She covered her blond hair with a bandanna and added a pair of thick glasses.

She entered the station without incident, simply slipping in behind a group of officers who were going in as well. As expected, they barely noticed her.

A quick stop at the janitor's closet and she had her props: a grimy bucket and equally grimy mop. The first thing Chloe did after securing the elements of her disguise was to find the route up to the roof, where the bat-signal originated.

Upon finding the door, she tried the keycard she had found in the janitor's locker. It worked. She would need it to go up to the roof as well as to re-enter the building after she was finished.

'Next step: find Gordon,' thought Chloe. She had no idea when Gordon would turn the signal on so she had to stay close to him in order to know when she could make her move up to the roof. It had to be soon, since it was already dark out and Gordon's shift was technically already over. The man needed to sleep sometime.

She couldn't say exactly why she felt the need to be here when Gordon talked to the Batman about the previous night. All she knew was that something about Gordon's reaction that morning made her curious as to how he would ask the masked vigilante about the break-in.

She knew that Gordon was an honest cop. That much was practically written in stone on the steps of police headquarters. What she didn't know was how loyal he was to the Batman.

Shortly after leaving the roof entrance, she found Gordon's office. Through the glass door etched with his name, she could see weary officer reading through some reports as he sipped his coffee.

For appearance's sake, Chloe swished the mop around on the floor a few steps from his office.

Watching Gordon's body movements as he worked, she noticed how much he reminded her of Ted. He was and old-school cop, measuring time in coffee cups rather than hours or minutes.

Struck at the thought, she squinted to see how much of the liquid he had left in his cup. It looked like less than half a cup. If Gordon was anything like Ted Dandridge, he'd drain the cup, clear up his desk a bit, get up and get a refill before heading up to the roof. That way, he'd have a full cup to nurse while he waited for Batman to respond to the signal. She'd seen Ted Dandridge and other cops play out similar scenes countless times before.

Chloe casually pushed the mop and bucket towards the roof entrance before abandoning it altogether. After a quick glance around to ensure that no one was watching, she slid the key card though the slot and slipped up onto the roof.

Gotham City Police Headquarters was not a tall building but its roof was high enough to be chilly and windy after dark. Chloe scoped out the area behind the massive spotlight that projected the bat-signal before settling on an empty area nearby. It was behind the HVAC unit, close enough so she'd be able to hear Gordon and Batman's conversation but far enough to stay hidden.

Sure enough, just a few minutes after Chloe crouched down, she heard the roof door open again. Gordon, once again clad in his trench coat and holding a now full cup of coffee, appeared. With his free hand he slipped a key into a locked box near the signal. When the box opened, he reached inside and threw the switch. The bat-signal appeared on the clouds over the nearby Gotham River.

Chloe couldn't help but smile a bit as Gordon sipped his coffee as he paced back and forth in front of the spotlight.

After only about seven or eight minutes, Chloe saw a dark figure approach in the west sky. She blinked a bit because it truly looked like the figure was flying. Only when he landed did she realize that he had been swinging like some sort of urban Tarzan on black cables.

This was Chloe's first real view of the Batman. She has half-expected him to look ridiculous with his pointy ears and theatrical cape – but he did not. It was eerie; he looked like a part of the night come to life. His cape and suit were so dark, your eyes almost slid right off of it. The cowl covered most of his face, but not all. Only by squinting could Chloe tell that the man in the bat suit appeared to be light-skinned. Perhaps Caucasian, but she could not be sure. The rest of his features were obscured, even the color of his eyes was concealed behind lenses in the cowl.

He was tall and broad. The silk cape outlined a muscular back. The cape fell almost to the floor and he had it pulled around him, further adding to the darkness of his figure. Newspaper reports hinted that he wore some kind of Kevlar uniform with a tool or utility belt which helped him in his work but Chloe could not see them underneath his cape.

Batman didn't greet Gordon verbally, he only gave a nod. Gordon remarked on the speed of his arrival. "You got here quick. Slow night?"

Batman did not answer.

"Word is you were busy last night. You paid a visit to the home of an insurance investigator named Chloe Sullivan."

Chloe held her breath in anticipation of Batman's answer. Would he deny it? Get angry? Hurt Gordon? I was almost a full minute before he responded and when he did, his voice was low and gravely.

"What does she know?"

Huh?

"She woke up in time to see you leaving her apartment. She doesn't seem to know why you were there though she suspects it has something to do with the explosion."

"How did you get involved?"

"Her boss is an ex-cop. He asked me to find out why you were there."

"Don't tell them anything." Batman almost growled, causing Chloe to jump.

Gordon did not seem intimidated. "I know that, give me some credit. I'm just not sure how long I'll be able to hold them off. How much more time do you need?"

"Not much more. Our mutual friend seems to think we can finish this soon, as long as we take care of this problem with the insurance investigation." Batman leapt up on the wall of the roof, apparently readying himself to take flight again.

"What will you do?"

"Whatever's necessary."

Chloe tried to suppress a gasp, but failed. Unfortunately, it seemed that she failed pretty badly, as both Gordon and Batman looked in the direction of the HVAC unit.

"Are you certain we're alone?" Batman growled again.

"Of course we are. Only PD personnel have access to this roof and they know better than to come up here at this time of night."

"I heard something," insisted Batman, stepping down off the roof wall towards the area when Chloe crouched. She not tried to think about what would happen if he found her there.

"It was probably that old HVAC unit, thing's been on the job longer than I have. City won't spend the money to replace it though."

The sound of sirens blaring up from the street below stopped the Batman from investigating any further. Instead he rushed to the other side of the roof to see where the squad cars were heading.

"At least four units, heading south towards the Kirby Bridge!" he shouted to Gordon over the noise. "They might need help."

Before Gordon could respond Batman shot out a line and took a running leap off the south side of the roof.

"Hey, hang back a bit unless it's real bad. Let my guys do their jobs!" Gordon shouted at the retreating figure.

Batman waved an arm in response.

Chloe watched as Gordon finished his coffee and switched off the bat-signal before heading back downstairs. She let out a sigh of relief when the she heard the door shut behind him.

Her relief was short-lived, though, as the impact of the conversation she'd overhead really hit her.

"What the hell is going on here?"

End chapter.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Batcave…Later that night…_

Batman slammed the door to the Batmobile with far more force than was actually necessary and stomped down the ramp from its parking platform to the cave interior.

His body was tense with un-spent energy. It had been a far from satisfying patrol. First, he there had been the unsettling conversation with Gordon and the revelation that the Sullivan woman had known about his visit to her apartment. Then there had been the brief, yet chaotic gang fight near the Kirby Bridge in which the Gotham Police had managed themselves surprisingly well. They hadn't needed much assistance from him save his picking up a few strays that tried to get away. Even they had given up without much of a fight, leaving Batman with frustratingly low-punch count for the evening.

The Kirby Bridge fight and the subsequent police presence had also seemed to spook the rest of Gotham's criminal element into staying in for the night so the Dark Knight had no other choice but to come home early and stew about the Chloe Sullivan situation.

Clenching his fists once before yanking off his gloves and unbuckling his gauntlets, he shook his head, letting the reality of the worsening situation sink in. As missions went, this present one should have been no more complicated, and only marginally more dangerous than average. Of course he had made that assessment before he knew who all the players were.

"Interfering….insufferable…"

"Rough night, sir?" came Alfred's calm voice out of the lit corner of the cave where he waited every evening for his master's return.

"Not rough enough," growled Batman, tossing his gloves and gauntlets onto a nearby rack.

"Oh, I see. I did think you were back rather early, sir. Perhaps you should simply be grateful that the criminals decided to stay in and enjoy Letterman tonight and – dare I say – do the same yourself? Bruce Wayne does have an important day tomorrow."

Batman pushed back his cowl revealing a frowning Bruce Wayne. "If anything I should use the extra time to figure out what I'm going to do about this…situation," he replied.

"Situation, sir?"

"The situation with this Sullivan woman. She went to Gordon this morning demanding to know why I was in her apartment last night."

"She did? Well, that would mean…"

"Exactly," grumbled Bruce, stomping towards the vault room that held his Batsuits. "That means she not only knew that I was there, she may know what I was there to get… I still can't figure out how she knew I was there…" His voice became muffled as he changed out of his suit.

Cheekily Alfred replied, "If you were stomping about in her flat the way you are now, it's wonder you didn't wake the whole building."

"Alfred, I'm in no mood for jokes!"

"I figured as much, Master Bruce but I continue to try. The law of large numbers says I'm bound to find you in an agreeable mood eventually."

Alfred turned to face Bruce as he stepped from the vault now dressed in a gray T-shirt and black sweatpants. Alfred raised a tray a bit higher in his hand and offered it to the young billionaire.

"Grilled cheese, sir?"

Still grumbling somewhat Bruce swiped a half of the sandwich of the tray along with a mug of black coffee that was offered on it as well and stepped over to his computer console.

He disposed of the sandwich in a couple of large bites and used his now free hand to lift up the modified flash drive he had used to copy Chloe's computer drive the previous night. He had already viewed the contents, though he was still a bit incredulous that the woman had the audacity to hack the Wayne Enterprises network in the first place. One of his first activities earlier that day as Bruce Wayne had been to instruct the IT department to install tighter controls.

It was closing the barn door, to be sure, and it wouldn't change the fact that Chloe had the information that she had but he had to do something. The woman was making a fool of him on several fronts...and she didn't even realize it.

"The fact is," he said to Alfred, twirled the device in his hands; "she has access to information she shouldn't have. Now I have to make sure that things move faster than they have been moving. We're running out of time here."

"Running out of time, sir?"

"If we wait to move much longer, Chloe Sullivan is going to figure out _exactly_ who blew up that plant."

* * *

_Meanwhile…Chloe's apartment…_

When Chloe's last serious boyfriend, an attorney who worked seventy to eighty hour weeks and had a speaker phone next to his bed, called her "obsessive" about her job, she wasn't offended. After all, she knew who she was and she wasn't ashamed of it. Working long hours was just part of who she was.

'Besides,' she had told him, 'the truth waits for no one.'

'That's all well and good,' he'd replied. 'But does the search for it have to occur in the form of three inch stacks of paper all over the living room floor?'

'Yes,' Chloe had replied simply and returned to work.

They'd parted friends, still saw each other occasionally, and helped each other out professionally whenever they could.

And since Chloe had opted to give up the man and not the work style, if this particular man could see her in her present position, he would not be surprised. She was sitting cross-legged on her living room floor, surrounded by stacks of print-outs and handwritten notes.

Upon leaving GCPD headquarters, Chloe had gone straight home and dove right into examining the data she had copied from the Wayne Enterprises network as well as her other collected information. Now several hours and several cups of coffee later, she had succeeded in sorting the information into a time frame and was now trying to look at everything, especially the emails, chronologically.

LW Tech, it seemed, was born out of a realization by Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor that it would be better for their rival organizations to stop fighting over the same talent pool and simply pool their resources by forming a jointly owned sub-corporation.

Both companies had already spent years researching new advances in robotic engineering but had suffered major setbacks along the way as key engineers from each company jumped ship to work for the other.

In an email dated more than a year earlier, Lex had written:

"_We can continue spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to lure our talent back to our respective labs, or we can simply put that money where it belongs – into the research. Properly funded and executed, together we may be able to accomplish in three years what would have taken Luthor Corp and Wayne Enterprises each five to seven."_

Bruce and Lucius had agreed and LW Tech was born.

In the beginning, it seemed to Chloe that the marriage was a happy one. Lex and Bruce had decided that due to lower labor costs and the existence of a more suitable plant space in Gotham, that the corporation would be based there. They went on a hiring spree, moving highly-trained engineers from both companies into the new corporation and hiring dozens more in a period of only a few months.

Chloe found flight itineraries from Lex's plane that showed he had spent much of the last year shuttling back and forth from Metropolis to Gotham to run Luthor Corp and keep his eyes on the new project. She knew from her other research that Lex kept an apartment in Metropolis.

The new venture flourished as the engineers made progress even faster than Lex had predicated.

In memos dated less than two months into the project, Mr. Lui reported that the teams had made great advancements in improving the maneuverability of the robots in tight areas and over rough terrain. Soon after, memos came through that reported breakthroughs in attaching protective housing to the machines that would allow them to function in extreme temperatures.

It was then, Chloe found, that some conflict began brewing between Lex and Bruce over how the robots would be marketed. Three months into the project, Bruce made his preferences clear to Lex and the rest of the management team in an email:

"_Wayne Enterprises believes we should concentrate on developing processes which focus on the bots' functionality in the following areas: unmanned space travel, oceanic exploration, and specialized manufacturing. We do not feel it is necessary to pursue other applications at this time."_

Lex fired back a response that very day:

_To limit development to those three areas is short-sighted to say the least. The recent advances made by the LW Tech team show great potential in the areas of unmanned military vehicle design. At a time when existing U.S. military bots are nearing the ends of their useful lives, it would be irresponsible for this partnership to ignore the immense possibilities that our work has created._

Bruce's response was succinct.

"_Wayne Enterprises has no ambitions to become a weapons manufacturer. We stand by the aforementioned applications and those alone."_

Chloe laid down her printouts and rubbed at her temples. There were no more mentions of the matter in emails to the staff at large, but in the private emails between Lex and Bruce, the argument raged on. Lex argued that the machines could potentially save lives by keeping soldiers out of heavy combat. He cited dozens of studies showing the limitations of exiting military "Packbots" and "iRobots" in terms of size, weight and maneuverability. He presented cost and profit valuations. Bruce would not budge.

Chloe rose to her feet and began to pace in what little walkable space remained in her living room. She didn't know Bruce Wayne very well but by all accounts he was a reasonably competent man. Prior to this case, she had heard that he was more than the typical rich boy, despite having a reputation as a bit of a playboy. He was the public face of his family's company and ran it well. Word was that he knew his limitations and deferred to his top advisors for the truly crucial matters. The documents Chloe had examined indicated that he was more "hands on" than the business community really knew. He was quite intelligent, in fact, and knew more about what was going on at Wayne Enterprises than almost anyone.

Why then, was he stonewalling what seemed like a logical business decision, one that even his top engineers had admitted was a lucrative option?

Was it because Lex had backed it so forcibly? Did he not want to be upstaged by the other CEO?

No, Chloe decided, that didn't seem to be the issue; Bruce had shown a willingness to share credit with Lex at several points.

For almost an hour, she racked her brain for facts about Bruce Wayne. Billionaire. Businessman. Noted Philanthropist. Wayne, the only son of…

Chloe smacked her head. 'Of course!' Bruce Wayne, the little boy who had been orphaned when he watched his parents gunned down in an alley in a robbery gone bad over twenty years ago. All of Gotham knew the story as it was still mentioned in the occasional news story about anything connected with Wayne.

She hurried over to her laptop and brought up the information she had gathered on Wayne Enterprises' many dealings. After a few minute, she could see the patterns. Wayne Enterprises not only did not make or sell anything connected with weapons or military artillery; it had few dealings with companies who did. Its contracts with the government were strictly limited to electronic navigation systems and software. Unlike its competitors, it had pointedly refused to bid on lucrative government contracts to supply components that would later be used in military weapons systems.

The reason for the stalemate between Lex and Bruce about applications for their robots was clear. Bruce Wayne didn't like guns. Of any sort. He would never allow Wayne Enterprises to have a hand in making them.

One important question remained then: would Lex take no for an answer?

* * *

_Early the next morning…Chloe's loft…_

Chloe opened the door to her apartment and smiled faintly at her visitor. "I didn't think you'd come," she said.

Danny shrugged. "You said it was important, plus if you call me at seven in the morning, I generally assume you have a good reason."

It was Saturday, so he was dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt and lightweight jacket. As he slipped his coat off his shoulders he studied Chloe, she was still wearing her blouse and pants from the previous day, though she was considerably more rumpled than she had been the last time he saw her.

"No offense, CJ, but you look like hell. Have you slept at all?"

She shook her head as she closed the door behind him. "No time to sleep. There's too much going on."

Danny followed her back to the living room and looked around the space. It was still littered with printouts and Chloe's notes.

"You've been working all night?"

"Yeah, well, I got on a roll and before I knew it, the sun as coming up. It's no big deal…"

"No big deal?" Danny paused and scanned her face. "CJ, why aren't you blinking?"

"Coffee high, it'll pass," she said dismissively. "Just sit down; we have a lot to go over."

"Don't you think you should sit down, or better yet, lay down?"

"There's no time, just sit down!"

Danny reluctantly obeyed. "I can't believe you called me over here at seven am on a Saturday to talk about this case and you haven't slept!"

"Of course it's about the case, why else would I call you at this hour?"

"I don't know, maybe to explain what I walked in on yesterday?" he said giving her a knowing look.

Chloe frowned and tried to keep the heat out of her face. "There's nothing to explain. Lex and I were just having a discussion."

"It looked like a pretty intimate one."

"Whatever, it's nothing for you to worry about. I can handle it," she said pointedly. "Besides, there are plenty of other things about this case to concern ourselves with. Namely, why Batman broke into my apartment and what it has to do with the case."

Danny sat up. "Batman broke into your apartment? _The_ Batman? When?"

"Two nights ago."

"And you're just telling me now? Wait, how did you even know he was in here? Did he hurt you?"

"Will you calm down? I woke up while he was here but I pretended to be asleep to see what I could find out. He never even knew I was awake. I told Dandridge the next morning and then we called Captain Gordon at the GCPD and here's where it gets interesting. I told Gordon to ask the Batman why he broke in here but when Gordon actually met with him, he didn't ask him, he just told him that I knew!"

"What?" Danny shook his head. "Wait, how do you know what Gordon said to Batman?"

Chloe was growing impatient with the questions. "I followed Gordon, of course. I hid out and listened to their conversation. Anyway, that's not important. The important thing is that Batman is somehow involved in all of this! For some reason, he doesn't want us to know who blew up the plant either. My guess is he was trying to either find out what I knew, or destroy some evidence I already have."

"This is bizarre, what could Batman have to do with any of this?"

"I still can't figure that part out but I found out plenty from the stuff I took from the Wayne network."

"Like what?"

"The main thing is that this partnership between Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Corp is shaky at best. They've been fighting for months over how their robots are going to be used. Luthor Corp. wants to make military robots to sell to the Pentagon and Wayne won't allow it. And, since they own this venture 50/50, neither of them can override the other."

"That sucks for them but I don't see what that has to do with the explosion."

"I think it has everything to do with the explosion, especially since it seems like Luthor Corp has already given schematics of the bots that LW Tech can deliver to someone at the Defense Department."

"What?"

Chloe dropped a thick pile of email printouts onto Danny's lap. "See for yourself. Someone emailed a whole bunch of proposed military robot designs to an email address with a defense.gov address. I'm guessing it was Lex. And I'm also guessing he didn't tell Bruce about it first."

"But why would Luthor do that?" Danny asked, flipped through the pages.

"From the looks of it, Lex _really_ wants to get these bots put into production. He's almost obsessed with it. Maybe he figured that if the Defense Department OK'd the designs and threw out a big enough dollar figure, Bruce would cave."

Chloe began pacing again. "I think that Bruce found out about it. A few weeks after those messages were sent to the Defense Department, Bruce personally halted the third shift at the plant - on a day that Lex was out of town, no less - ensuring that the plant would be empty at night A couple of days later, the plant goes up. Coincidence? I don't think so. What's more, all four security guards on duty escaped the blast because they were at the checkpoint when it happened since it was shift change. I don't think that was a coincidence either, I think the blast was timed that way to avoid loss of human life. And who else would know when it was shift change other than an insider?"

"CJ, listen to what you're saying. You saying that Bruce Wayne blew up his own plant to prevent it from manufacturing something he didn't want to make? It doesn't make any sense."

"Danny, none of this makes sense! Can you explain any of these things any other way?"

Danny shrugged. "No, but these are Fortune 500 companies here. Surely Wayne could have come up with a way to get of out this partnership that didn't involve blowing the damn plant up. Plus, isn't just as likely that Luthor would have had the plant blown up if he was so obsessed about getting out of this deal so he could get his bots made?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't explain why Wayne cut the third shift, though." Chloe sank onto the couch next to Danny. "There's so much about this that doesn't make sense. Like Batman being involved. And Gordon. And then there are the employee records I found."

"Employee records?"

"Remember those LW Tech employee records you got from HR? I found copies of them in the hidden area of the network. But not all of them, just two; for a couple of engineers who were hired about ten months ago. I can't figure out why they would keep all the employee records in one place and then these two in this secret area."

"CJ, this case just gets weirder and weirder."

Chloe nodded. "I agree. And I think it's time I started asking Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor some tough questions."

"Well, you'll have to wait till Monday to do that." Danny replied, leaning back against the back of the couch.

Chloe tossed a folded newspaper at him. "No I won't."

"Hey! What---?"

Chloe pulled out her phone and dialed her ex-boyfriend's number. Placing the phone to her ear, she ignored the confused look Danny was giving her.

When the deep voice answered on the other end, she smiled and said. "Harvey, it's CJ. I need a favor."

End Chapter.

_AN: To answer a question from FB, I don't have my own site for my fics. I do, however, have PDF versions of my other two stories so if you'd like me to send them to you, just drop me an email directly. They're both Chlex and they're also both considerably lighter in tone than this one._


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Wayne Manor…Bruce Wayne's study…that evening…_

Lex paced the length of the study for the third time in five minutes. It was not in his nature to be restless but then, these days, he found himself doing quite a few things that he once thought were not in his nature.

He was dressed in a tuxedo, and despite the fact that he was very used to formal wear, it was very much against his will that he found himself so attired that evening. Bruce had planned a charity event at his mansion for that evening and had convinced him that it was in their best interest for Lex to make an appearance. He had even asked that Lex arrive early so they could discuss "business matters" before the other guests arrived. Now Lex stood in Bruce's study waiting for the other man to appear, annoyed that Bruce seemed to think that the rule of arriving "fashionably late" extended even to his own meetings.

Lex didn't even recall which charity the event was benefiting and frankly, he had ceased to care. He just wanted to get through the evening and head back to his apartment as soon as possible.

In the past few weeks, he felt less in control of his life than at virtually any other time in is thirty-odd years. There were notable exceptions, of course. His "pharmaceutical phase" was one. The year leading up to his father's incarceration was another.

And now, as if the plant explosion and…related events were not enough, he had to deal with seeing Chloe Sullivan again, and the feelings she stirred in him.

Lex braced one arm against the ornate mantle of the fireplace.

There, he had admitted it. Sort of. The woman stirred feelings in him. Feelings of what, though, he didn't really feel like defining. He could try, but he was feeling out of control as it was, the last thing he needed was more distraction…

_Summer, ten years earlier…very late at night…_

_The telephone rang. If it were any other call at this time of night, Lex would have ignored it. He was sitting up in bed trying to review some important papers and he really didn't need to be distracted. Except it wasn't just any phone call. He reached for the small cell phone on his nightstand and flipped it open._

"_Hey, what's the matter?"_

"_Nothing…just couldn't sleep," replied Chloe. "I didn't want to wake my dad again so I figured you might still be up…"_

"_I told you that you could call anytime, day or night, didn't I?"_

"_Yeah, well most people say things like that and they don't really mean them, particularly when the phone actually does ring at two in the morning."_

"_I'm not most people."_

_Chloe gave a mock sigh. "Ah, arrogant but so true. So it sounds like I didn't wake you. Why aren't you asleep?"_

"_I was reading a copy of the motion the prosecutors filed today. They're trying to get the pre-trial hearing moved up."_

"_Do you think they have a shot?" Lex could tell that Chloe was trying to keep her voice even but that the idea of being able to come out of hiding sooner excited her._

"_Hard to say. My own attorneys helped them with the motion and it's pretty solid. The problem is that Lionel's attorneys are claiming that he's not healthy enough to go to trial yet."_

"_He's stalling."_

"_Exactly." _

_Chloe exhaled. "I see… and how good of these lawyers of his?"_

"_They're pretty expensive, but then so are mine."_

"_Then why am I not reassured?"_

_Lex laid down the reports and cradled the phone closer to his ear. "Because it's two in the morning and you're thinking too hard about it. Chloe, you need to calm down. At least try to relax."_

"_Easy for you to say, you get to sleep in your own bed every night. You get to get up in the morning and do normal things! You don't close your eyes at night and see nothing but that house…" her voice was steadily growing louder. "Lionel's the one who murdered people and I'm the one in prison! How does that make sense?" _

"_Chloe it's not a prison, at least it isn't supposed to feel like one." Lex sighed and ran his free hand over his head. "What can I do? Do you want to stay somewhere else? Do you want me to see if I can find a bigger place, something that isn't so cramped? How about some more books, DVDs?"_

"_No, the house is fine, the movies are fine, the books are fine…never mind. I'm sorry I yelled. You're doing your best. You've already spent a fortune on us…"_

"_Forget about the money, the point of this is make sure you're OK…"_

"…_so I can testify. I know, I know."_

"_No, not just so you can testify…so you can come out of this knowing you did the right thing. Chloe, I know this feels like you're being punished for what he did. Believe me, I know what that feels like. But you need to stay focused. In the end, it will all be worth it, I promise."_

"_Lex…I appreciate the pep talk, I really do, but you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."_

"_I'm not in the habit of doing that. I intend to keep this promise."_

_Chloe paused. "Why are you doing this, Lex?"_

"_Doing what?" _

"_You could have handed my Dad and I back to the FBI, at least to some more competent agents, anyway. You could not answer the phone at night when I call. You could not send me boxes of books and DVDs to keep me occupied. Why are you going through so much trouble? I understand the need to keep us safe but this…feels different."_

"_Well, number one, the books and DVDs are not to keep you safe; they're for the safety of the guards watching you. I've heard that a bored Chloe Sullivan is a matter of national security."_

"_Jackass, you'll pay for that!" she exclaimed but Lex could tell she was laughing. Mission accomplished. _

_She waited until she caught her breath before speaking again. "I'm serious this time. We weren't exactly friends before all this happened. I'm the stupid little teenage girl who made a colossal screw up because of a crush. Why should you care how I feel when this is over? All you really need to care about is if Lionel goes to jail; I'm just the means to the end."_

'_She doesn't really think that, does she?' thought Lex. But then he remembered all the times she had been treated like that, as the 'go to girl' for information and not much else. Always in the background. Always being asked to prove her worth even though she had done so dozens of times before._

"_First of all, you're not stupid, and you're not a little girl. You're a smart person who got manipulated into making a bad choice. It's that simple. And why do I care? Because I've seen people who are older than you, smarter than you, richer than you, and with far more power and influence who would never even consider turning against Lionel Luthor. You're doing it just because it's right. You're one of the bravest people I know, Chloe. You'd be surprised how rare it is that I meet someone like you."_

_Chloe was silent for a long moment and Lex was fearful that he might have said too much and scared her away._

_Finally she spoke, and to Lex's immense relief, the humor was back in her voice "I think you need to hang out with a better class of people, Lex."_

_With mock exasperation Lex retorted. "I'm working on it, I'm working on it…"_

"Mr. Luthor? Mr. Luthor, sir?"

Alfred's smooth voice shook Lex from his reverie and he instinctively turned to face him. "Yes, Alfred, what is it?"

"Sorry to startle you, sir, but Master Bruce asked me to inform you that the guests are beginning to arrive so he will need delay your meeting until a bit later this evening."

"Tell him he should have spent less time getting ready. What the hell took him so long?"

Alfred looked back at him with his typically bland expression. "Perhaps something came up to delay him."

"Yes, and her name was Bambi or Candi or Randi…something she can sign with a heart, I'm sure."

"Sir?"

"Never mind, Alfred." Lex turned back to the mantle and his gaze shifted upward to the large portrait of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne hanging above it.

"You knew the Waynes pretty well, didn't you, Alfred?" "

"I was in their service for many years, sir."

"Then tell me, which one of them does Bruce have to thank for this stubborn streak of his?"

At Alfred's perplexed look Lex added, "Indulge me a bit, Alfred. I have no desire to rush in there and mingle with Gotham's so-called elite. Besides, I have a genuine curiosity about them. As you well know, Bruce doesn't say much."

Alfred seemed to accept this explanation. "I'd have to say that Master Bruce inherited his strong will from both of his parents. They were quite well-suited to one another as I recall. As a result, he received what one might call a double dose."

Lex sighed, looking back up at the picture. "That explains a great deal. When he makes a decision, no matter how illogical, he sticks to it. Quite frankly, it's starting to get old."

Alfred cocked an eyebrow, and clasped his hands behind his back. "It's illogical depending on the way you look at it, sir. I'm sure from Master Bruce's perspective, his decisions make a great deal of sense… Of course, I don't know what you're referring to, specifically."

Lex smirked. "Of course you don't."

"One thing you might consider, sir, is that it isn't simply will that drives Master Bruce's decision-making. He feels a strong sense of duty to the name he has inherited. Not unlike yourself. And, as you know, the weight of such a name can be difficult to carry at times."

Lex frowned. "I hardly think it's the same thing, Alfred. The name Bruce inherited was in much better condition than the one I got."

"That hardly makes the burden any lighter to bear…sir. If I may be so bold, perhaps that is something you might keep in mind the next time you encounter the worst of Master Bruce's will."

Lex's eyes shifted from the painting to the genteel butler's face. He shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his face. "Perhaps. You are a wise man, Alfred. I wish you worked for me, though it's not from lack of trying on my part that you don't. You've turned me down more times than I can count."

"Your offers have been generous, Mr. Luthor, but as I've said, I'm too far along in this life to make any changes now."

"And far too loyal to phrase it any other way." Lex turned from the mantle and straightened his tie. Alfred nodded wordlessly to indicate that it was indeed perfect. "I've put this off long enough, I suppose. Into the lion's den for more idle chatter and nonsense we go," declared Lex.

"Right, sir. One of the servers will be over momentarily with a glass of scotch."

"You're one in a million, Alfred."

* * *

_Wayne Manor ballroom…a few minutes later…_

Bruce smiled his best playboy smile at a young socialite across the room. The woman winked back in return and adjusted her snug-fitting velvet dress to display her cleavage to best advantage. She didn't seem to realize that Bruce has played this silent game with most of the young, unattached women in the room. And if she did, she didn't seem to care.

Bruce Wayne had mastered the art of flirting. There were few women he had encountered who didn't respond to his attentions. Bruce had become so good at it his playboy persona that he barely had to think about switching it on and off, and at an event such as the charity fund-raiser he hosted at his Manor with Gotham's elite, it most definitely needed to be on. Because, despite how well in place his public persona as a competent but easily distracted billionaire businessman was, it needed constant reinforcement. The Gotham media and others were always on the hunt for clues about Batman's real identity. As long as Bruce Wayne appeared to be nothing more than rich, handsome and a little dim, they would be none wiser.

Bruce looked over at the doorway to the ballroom where Alfred stood and nodded slightly to acknowledge a silent hint from his butler. Alfred was signaling him that the more influential guests had begun to arrive and that Bruce should come over and great them personally.

Quickly Bruce navigated the room and positioned himself beside the arched doorway. Subtly smoothing down his shirt, he listened as Alfred greeted the guests as he opened the front door, a few feet away. It was Alfred's way of insuring that Bruce didn't accidentally call one of his guests by the wrong name or otherwise embarrass himself. Bruce didn't actually need the reminders but he appreciated the effort all the same. It was nice not to have to rely solely on his own memory.

"Councilwoman Jimenez, Dr. Jimenez, good evening," said Aflred. "You are both looking well. Right this way."

Bruce formed his face into a smile and greeted the couple seconds later as they passed through the door. "Evening, Councilwoman, Doctor. Thank you for coming and showing your support."

"Senator and Mrs. Waid. Good to see you again. You certainly know your way to the ballroom," said Alfred.

Seconds later, Bruce greeted the pair. "Senator Waid, thank you for coming. Mrs. Waid, you're looking lovely…."

This went on for several more minutes as more and more guests arrived. Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce began to scan the crowd in the ballroom for Lex. Bruce assumed Lex would be angry with him for postponing their meeting but he had had other things to attend to. Surely Lex wouldn't have left altogether? He knew how important it was that their partnership appear intact…

He was so distracted by his search for Lex that he almost missed Alfred greeting his old college friend, now one of the rising stars in Gotham DA's office.

"Mr. Dent, thank you for coming…and you brought a guest! It's a…pleasant surprise."

Bruce continued scanning the room for Lex as his friend Harvey Dent's voice wafted in from the vestibule.

"Hey there, Alfred. I know I RSVP'd that I be coming stag but I managed to find a date after all. I didn't think Bruce would begrudge an old friend one more guest. Particularly not one as lovely as this…"

"It's quite alright, Mr. Dent. Pleased to meet you, miss," said Alfred. "Right this way."

Finally Bruce spotted Lex halfway across the room, lifting a glass of what appeared to be scotch from a server's proffered tray. Lex looked over in his direction and frowned slightly as he swirled the liquid in the glass.

Bruce exhaled in relief in seeing Lex. At least he hadn't stormed out. He had at least realized how important…

Suddenly Lex froze as he lifted the glass to his lips. He seemed to be looking at something over Bruce's shoulder.

Instinctively, Bruce followed his friend's gaze back towards the doorway.

"Bruce! There you are!" boomed Harvey, in his distinctive deep voice. "It's been too long, buddy! Good to see you."

He shook Bruce's hand enthusiastically, and pulled his companion closer to him with his other arm. "And this lovely lady agreed to be my date to this thing for some reason. Bruce Wayne, meet Chloe Sullivan."

Bruce blinked.

Chloe. Sullivan.

Again.

Now in his house.

This damn woman was everywhere. How?

If she showed up one more time, Bruce thought he just might strangle her…

Or see about getting her fitted for kevlar…

As the thought of Chloe in kevlar flitted by, the heterosexual male part of Bruce's brain took over and his eyes skimmed down the figure of the woman in front of him.

She was dressed in a form-fitting wine colored matte jersey gown. The gown had long sleeves but both the sleeves and the bodice of the dress ended just below her shoulders leaving them bare. Bruce had a pretty good understanding of the laws of psychics, but from where he stood, Chloe's dress was held up by nothing but her cleavage and a few prayers.

Her loosely arranged up-do and simple teardrop gold earrings seemed specifically selected to emphasize the bare state of her neck and shoulders.

He reached her eyes and found them boring directly into his, challenging him, almost daring him, to do or say something.

"We've met," he replied to Harvey, tearing his eyes from Chloe's.

"Really? Where?"

Chloe slid her arm more snugly through Harvey's. "Oh…we've bumped into each other once or twice around town. Gotham's not as big as many think, Harvey," she said, smiling at Bruce.

"And getting smaller every day. Glad you could both make it." Bruce read her response immediately. She had been deliberately vague. However she had managed to convince Harvey to bringing her here, he must not know the specifics.

"Wouldn't miss it," agreed Harvey. "It's a worthy cause. We'll see you in a bit, Bruce."

The couple began to step away. "Will you save me a dance, Miss Sullivan?" Bruce called over his shoulder.

"If you ask nicely. Mr. Wayne," she replied, just loudly enough for most of the people nearby to overhear.

Bruce finished greeting his guests and quickly left the ballroom via a side door to collect himself. Lex appeared behind him a few seconds later.

"What is she doing here?" his friend wanted to know.

"I was going to ask you the same question. Weren't you supposed to talk to her?"

"I _did_ talk to her, and like I told you, we haven't seen each other in ten years. She's not likely to listen to me."

"You still have a connection to her!"

"That I can use for what? Jedi mind tricks? In case you haven't noticed, Bruce, she's not easily intimidated."

Bruce clenched his hands into fists.

"Neither am I."

It was only when the words left his mouth that Bruce realized that he had said them in the tone that was more natural to him…the one that was several octaves lower.

End Chapter.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Wayne Manor ballroom…a little later that evening…_

"So are you going to give me a hint?" Harvey whispered the words into Chloe's ear as they danced.

She pulled back a bit to face him. "A hint about what?"

"Don't be coy, CJ. It doesn't suit you. A hint about what, or rather, who, you are here to investigate."

"Harvey, we agreed, no questions asked. You're the one who said you owed me from the Edwards arson case, and you wanted a way to repay me."

Harvey skillfully turned her on the dance floor. "At the time I had been thinking more in terms of treating you to lunch, not necessarily crashing a black-tie charity event."

"We're not crashing," argued Chloe. "You had an invitation. Besides, when was the last time you even took lunch, a real lunch that you didn't work through?"

That part was true; Harvey Dent was a hard-working prosecutor in the Gotham DA's office. The two had met in the course of their work, because frankly, with their self-imposed work schedules, they rarely met anyone of the opposite sex any other way.

Harvey was certainly handsome enough. He was tall, and broad, with thick brown hair and dark eyes. With his deep, rich voice and movie-star good looks, his colleagues in the DA's office joked that despite the fact that Harvey's courtroom arguments were brilliant, no woman who had ever been in court with him had likely ever heard them. They were too entranced by him.

And, like Chloe, he hand a singular focus in life most of the time: his work. As a result he was considered to be on the fast track to the top seat in the DA's office, and possibly even higher.

Harvey and Chloe actually had a few things in common besides their work ethics. They were both bright, attractive, and committed to justice. Unfortunately, neither of these similarities were really enough to build a long-term relationship on. A friendship, perhaps, but not a great romance. And that was OK. For both of them.

"I could ask the same question of you."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm still not going to answer you. You'll just have to settle for my undying gratitude for helping me out in this."

"I suppose I can live with that."

The turned again and Chloe noticed Harvey looking over her shoulder. He smiled a bit and turned back to her.

"If you won't tell me about your case, then perhaps you can tell me why Lex Luthor can't seem to take his eyes off of you. Other than the obvious reason, of course."

Chloe looked over her shoulder and immediately locked eyes with Lex. He was standing slightly off to the side of the dance floor, his hands slipped in his pockets and staring quite openly at Chloe and her dance partner.

Naturally he looked downright delicious in his tuxedo. Even surrounded by a roomful of men who were almost identically attired, he stood out and not simply because of his bald head. He had a simmering intensity in his movements, his stance and especially in the way he watched Chloe. Even when she wasn't sneaking glances at him out of the corner of her eye, she could _feel_ his eyes on her. She could feel the flush of heat rising from her back to the nape of her neck and across her shoulders when her back was to him, and she knew her cheeks were likely thoroughly pink when Harvey turned them and she could see Lex's face over his shoulder.

She almost shuddered at the force of his gaze but she stopped herself just in time. For one, Lex might see what he was doing to her and secondly, Harvey would certainly feel her reaction and she was in no mood to explain it to him.

Before she could form an answer to satisfy Harvey, however, Chloe felt a gentle tap on her other shoulder. She turned and found herself face to face with Bruce once again.

"About that dance, Miss Sullivan?"

"What about it?"

Harvey broke in with a smile, "I think you can do better than that, Bruce. Actually, I _suggest_ you do better than that."

Bruce cleared his throat. "May I have the next dance, Miss Sullivan?"

"Yes, you may."

"Harvey you don't mind, do you?" Bruce asked Harvey, and Chloe noticed Bruce sending the other man a Y-chromosome generated look that indicated that he really shouldn't mind.

"Not at all, knock yourself out. Or, piss her off and she'll do it for you." Harvey leaned down and placed a brotherly peck on Chloe's check. "Behave yourself, he's the host, not to mention an old friend of mine," he whispered to her. Chloe flashed him her best innocent smile, in spite of his earlier warning about coyness and waved him away.

She turned back to Bruce, who by now had his arms open in a dance stance to receive hers.

She stepped into place and allowed him to begin leading them around the other couples.

After a long moment, Bruce said, "Congratulations, you've surprised me yet again. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here. I must remember to thank Harvey…"

"Don't blame Harvey. He owed me a favor."

"I see. And what exactly did you tell him about your sudden need to attend this fundraiser?"

"All he knows is that I'm here about a case. I didn't tell him anything else. Of course, he's going to find out eventually…"

Bruce pulled back to look at her face. "Oh really, why is that?"

"I don't see how you're going to be able to keep it from him when his office is prosecuting you for insurance fraud," Chloe replied, keeping her smile in place.

"You have quite the sense of humor, Miss Sullivan," Bruce turned her easily, as if they were discussing the weather. "And might I add you look amazing in that dress."

"You can drop the dim playboy act, Mr. Wayne. I've read virtually all of your emails and memos for the past year. I know that you're not as clueless as you lead people to believe."

"Are you sure about that? I've been told that I'm pretty clueless at times."

Chloe reached up with her hand and wrapped it around the back of Bruce's neck to bring his face down closer to hers. She then leaned in to speak directly in his ear.

"Suit yourself, but you and I need to have a talk. We can do it right here where anyone could hear or we can go someplace more private."

When she pulled back, Bruce had the same insipid grin on his face. The contrast between this Bruce and the one she had seen at Wayne Enterprises was incredible.

He raised her hands to his lips and said, in a voice that was just a bit louder than necessary, "That's sounds like a terrific idea. Why don't we go see the view from the east balcony?" He kissed her hand, still maintaining his heated eye contact. "I'll get us some drinks and meet you there."

His disappeared in the direction of the bar and Chloe let out a breath. This was more tiring than she thought it would be. But, she would play along with whatever game Bruce wanted to play as long as he needed to, just as long as she could ask the questions that she needed to.

* * *

Lex watched as Chloe danced with the attorney from the DA's office that she had arrived with. Or, rather, "arrived draped over" he corrected bitterly. Milliseconds later, he berated himself for being bitter.

Up until a few days ago, he hadn't seen Chloe Sullivan in years, and now he was having murderous thoughts about a man he hardly knew just because he was touching her.

Yes, Lex had felt the urge to punch the handsome accountant/lackey in her apartment the other day but he had rationalized that away once he noticed the young man's resemble to a certain farm boy.

This attorney was an entirely different story. For one thing, he was her date. Plus, they seemed to know each other pretty well. And did he mention the touching thing? And he was one of those ridiculously handsome men who seemed to pull off the handsome bit with no effort at all.

Lex took a deep breath. He should be focusing on more important things, like why Chloe was here in the first place. Was she just trying to unnerve them? Did she actually know something and want to confront them about it directly?

He watched as Dent murmured something into Chloe's ear. Her cheeks were pleasantly pink and Lex frowned at the thought that it was from something Dent had said.

Did he have to lean so close? What could he possibly have to say to her that needed to be whispered right into her ear? So close to the expanse of skin left bare by the dress…

Suddenly something else seemed to be happening. Bruce was cutting in and Dent was letting him. Bruce had the lecherous playboy look on his face. Surely he didn't think that would work on Chloe?

Lex followed them around the floor with his eyes and caught sight of Chloe smiling up at Bruce.

Was it working on Chloe?

Lex blinked and collected his thoughts. No, she was just playing with him the same way he was trying to play with her. She was too smart to fall for that.

Chloe reached up and pulled Bruce's head down towards hers to whisper into his ear.

Please, it wasn't that loud in the ballroom.

Bruce then kissed her hand and released his hold on her, heading off in the opposite direction.

Chloe watched him leave then made her way towards the French doors leading to one of the balconies.

Lex hesitated for ten seconds before following her. He didn't know what he was going to say to her when he caught up but he simply couldn't stop himself from following her.

Chloe was already at the stone railing when he stepped outside. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was looking out at the immaculate, if somewhat gothic, gardens of Wayne Manor. Lex thought about approaching her but he still couldn't decide what he would say. Their previous conversations in the last few days had not exactly gone well. She might have been close to believing his version of their separation but they had been interrupted. Now Lex felt he was back at square one.

Square one of what, though, was the question. He had first approached her in hopes of using their previous relationship to encourage Chloe to reconsider her take-no-prisoners approach to the investigation.

Then, when he realized how angry she still was at him, swaying her on the investigation took second place to getting her to believe that he hadn't, as she put it,' thrown her away like trash.'

Truth be told, it wasn't the first time someone had leveled that particular accusation at him, but it hurt like hell coming from Chloe.

Lex realized that he had hesitated too long, Bruce was approaching Chloe from another entrance to the balcony. He decided to wait a few minutes before letting them know of his presence.

"Miss Sullivan," said Bruce. "Sorry about the delay, I had to take an important phone call."

"From your lawyer?" she asked, turning to face him and titling her face up. Lex could see the sly grin she had on her face.

"No, actually. Are you saying that I should call him? Do you plan on making any accusations he should be present for?"

Chloe shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm not a cop, Mr. Wayne. I find some of their rules…confining. I'm going to say what I feel I need to say whether or not you have a suit you pay $800 an hour standing next to you; it makes no difference to me."

Bruce smiled, "It's abundantly clear that you still don't know who you're dealing with."

There was no threat in his voice, only a bit of mirth. Lex clenched his jaw at the words though because they were directed at Chloe. She, however, did not seem fazed.

"I assume that you are referring to the fact that you are considered very powerful to some people and you have a great deal of money. Well, you should know whom you're dealing with, as well. Two years ago, a U.S. Congressman decided to fake a paralyzing injury to his youngest child in order to garner some sympathetic votes and collect half a million dollars in disability insurance. I figured it out and had his ass arrested on the floor of the House of Representatives.

"Three years ago, the curator at a major art museum decided to fence a Monet to fund her prescription drug habit. She reported it stolen in order to collect several million dollars of its insured value and hide her crime. You can imagine her surprise when I walked into her office three weeks later with the painting, the fence she used, _and_ her dealer.

"Six months ago, a British Lord, and second cousin to the Royal family, set his country estate on fire with his wife inside. Scotland Yard said it was an electrical fire and advised that Allied pay both the death and property claims. They called me in and within two weeks, the Lord, his lover, and the electrician they hired to set the fire were behind bars. Are you seeing a pattern here?"

One corner of Bruce's mouth curled up. "You have an exceptional memory?"

Chloe took a step closer. "People with money and power don't intimidate me. Not in the least."

"One might even say that you target them, perhaps because you enjoy the challenge. Or maybe you simply have a bone to pick with the wealthy and powerful? Which is it?"

Chloe frowned briefly, then smirked. "I aim for where the evidence leads me, Mr. Wayne. I don't target people because of who they are, I target them for what they've done. And I very good at hitting my targets."

"I see. So what exactly is it that I have done? Other than cooperate fully with your investigation, that is."

"You personally cut the third shift of the plant just a week before the explosion, ensuring that the plant would be empty. All your sales data showed that you should have been increasing production, not cutting back. There's no reason why you should have taken time out from running a multi-billion dollar corporation to make a plant-level decision."

Lex grudgingly admitted that to his credit, Bruce's face revealed nothing. "It was my decision to make, and it doesn't mean that I've done anything wrong. The decision could have been purely strategic."

"I've read four dozen emails between you and Lex Luthor that lead me to think otherwise."

Lex blinked. How much _did _she know?

"You and Lex don't exactly agree on what to do with your new robots, do you?" Chloe continued. "You've been arguing for months. Broken promises, secret emails. Your deadlines are creeping closer and you can't agree. Now all of sudden, boom! No more bots. Your partnership could end right now and with the insurance money, you'd recoup most, if not all, of your initial investment."

Lex held his breath as Bruce stared intently at Chloe as she finished speaking. He had known Bruce for years but he had never seen anyone confront him like that. Lex honestly had no idea how to react. He was seconds from stepping in between them when Bruce finally spoke.

"Is that the extent of your evidence? Some emails and the fact that I cut production on the plant before the explosion? I'm sorry, Miss Sullivan, I think you'll need to do better than that."

"That doesn't sound like a denial to me."

"What's there to deny? Sending emails? I can hardly do that. You've caught me and my computer red-handed! As for anything else, well, let's just say it's not really a bull's eye just yet."

"Who says I'm finished with you? Maybe this conversation was just to put you on notice."

"Next time you can save yourself the trouble and stay home because I'm telling you now, I don't like threats. You might be getting some sick thrill from badgering me, but I really am a very busy man. Once again, I must stress that you have no idea who you're dealing with. I'm not going to tell you that again." The mirth was gone from his voice and in its place was only steel.

Lex stepped out of the doorway, not waiting for Chloe's reaction. "Bruce, I think that's quite enough."

Chloe spun around at Lex's voice, clearly surprised to see him there. "Lex!"

Bruce did not seem as surprised. "Lex, no need to get all heroic. Miss Sullivan and I were just finishing up a discussion."

"It sounded like you were threatening her. Of course, I'm sure that you weren't because we both know that you have no need to do that." Lex walked closer to the pair as he spoke pointedly.

Chloe interjected with a dramatic eye roll. "And besides, I hate to break this to you but my dry cleaner is more threatening than you are, Mr. Wayne." She gave a mock shudder. "Extra starch….ughhhhh…it gives me the shakes just thinking about it."

Lex felt a smile spreading over his face as Chloe easily brushed off Bruce's threats. She really was something. Immediately though, he had to stamp down the grin when the felt Bruce's eyes on him.

"I suppose I'll need to work on that, won't I?" Bruce answered. He turned to Lex "So how much of that did you hear?"

"Enough." replied Lex.

"So you noticed, then, that Miss Sullivan's theories paint you as an innocent bystander in all of this."

"I never said that." Chloe interjected.

"Well, his name was noticeably absent from your assessment of what I _supposedly_ did. Why do you suppose that is, Lex?"

"Bruce…" Lex warned, but his friend would not let it go.

"Miss Sullivan, you wouldn't be harboring any biases in this investigation, would you? I am aware that you and Lex weren't exactly strangers when this investigation started. I certainly hope I'm not being unfairly targeted simply because I didn't have the favor of a previous relationship with you."

Chloe's smile was tight. "I'm not sure what I can say to convince you but I'm as unbiased as I need to be. Mr. Luthor and I have not seen each other in ten years. The fact that I knew him before now is…it's…"

"Irrelevant?" Bruce offered smugly. "You see that's the word that Lex used when I asked him about your prior relationship. He said it was irrelevant."

Lex stopped himself from visibly wincing. He had no idea what kind of game Bruce was playing here but he was obviously choosing his words in order to get some kind of reaction from Chloe. The word he had chosen so casually in that conversation with Bruce now cut through his heart as he watched the muscles in Chloe's jaw tighten in response. He watched the movement in her throat as she swallowed before finding her voice to speak. It had not been but mere seconds between Bruce's statement and her own but Lex had seen the brief flashes of sadness, anger, and betrayal that flickered in her eyes. The damage was done.

"He's right," she said softly.

"Excuse me?' said Bruce.

"I said, he's right. Our relationship was and is irrelevant to this case. And, as I said, this investigation isn't over. You'll both being seeing more of me. Anyway, gentlemen, I think I've neglected Harvey too long. I better get back to the party. Enjoy the rest of your night."

She spun on her heel and walked back inside, the fabric of her gown swirling around her as she moved. Lex noted that she had carefully avoided making eye contact with him as she turned away.

Lex waited until the balcony doors clicked shut before turning to Bruce.

"What the hell was that about? When I said our relationship was irrelevant, I meant…I…"

"You meant what? Do you even know anymore when she's involved?" Bruce demanded.

Lex had no answer…and it pissed him off royally.

"That's exactly my point. I know what you _said_ about your relationship but I also know what I've seen with my own eyes ever since she walked into my office. She distracts you and we can't afford another distraction. I don't know what exactly went on between you two and right now, I don't care. All I care about is that she stays the hell away from you and you keep your head in the game where it belongs."

"I didn't ask for a keeper, Bruce. Stay the hell out of my business."

Bruce shook his head and gave a wry grin. "It's my business, too, Lex. What she does, what you do, it's _all_ my business now."

End chapter.


	11. Chapter 10A

_Sorry for the delay. The holidays are crazy in the NBG household/ I split this chapter into two parts not because I wanted to be cruel, but because I wanted to give you guys warning that the rating was changing to MA. So if MA is not your thing, you might want to skip the next part. Also, I believe default mode makes MA fics harder to find so if you're on board with the sexy-stuff, you might want to 'favorite" this so you will be able to know when I update again. Which will be very soon, I promise.   
_

_-NBG_

Thanks for all the FB so far.

**Chapter 10 – Part A**

_Outside Chloe's loft… later that evening…_

Lex cut the engine of his car. It was not his typical style but a nondescript luxury sedan, a company vehicle that he used while he was in Metropolis. It was certainly not something anyone would expect to find Lex Luthor driving. Thus he felt well concealed as he watched from across the street as Harvey Dent helped Chloe out of his car and walked behind her up the front door of her apartment building.

He had left the party early and driven straight to her loft hoping to get to speak to her. Too late he remembered that she had been on a date and that she might not come home at all, and if she did, she might not be alone. Still, he held out hope that there was nothing serious between Chloe and the handsome attorney, just as there seemed to be nothing between her and her lovestruck accountant colleague. So Lex waited and he didn't need to wait long. Harvey Dent had pulled up in front of the building only minutes behind him.

Lex watched as they turned to face each other at the top of the stairs. Dent rested his hand on one of Chloe's shoulders and she shook her head slightly. She said something that made him laugh and then leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. Dent released her shoulder, much to Lex's relief, and jogged back down the stairs to his car as Chloe disappeared into the building.

He waited a good five minutes in the darkened car after Dent drove away. He found himself in the unfamiliar situation of not having a clue of what to say to this woman… He, who had shared meals and conference tables with more world and military leaders than he could count, was now tongue-tied about a woman.

He had come to try to undo the damage that Bruce had caused and…after that… After that, it was all up to her.

Lex opened the car door.

* * *

_Meanwhile…Upstairs in Chloe's loft…_

Chloe slammed the door behind her, tossed her evening bag and keys on the low side table and immediately reached for her shoes. Damn torture devices anyway. Surely all the advances in modern technology could have come up with a sexy _and_ comfortable pair of evening shoes by now. With the straps of her shoes still dangling from one hand, she reached up with her other hand and pulled the pins from her hair. Those were yet another source of pain. If it were up to her, she would have left her hair down, painlessly down. But the drama of the dress required an updo. One that had been pulling at her temples all damn night. Damn fashion to hell anyway. Was it any wonder that she stuck with plain pantsuits most of the time? She simply could not be bothered with heels and stockings, not in a job as unpredictable as hers.

She padded to the living room and dropped the shoes next to the couch and the pins on the end table before settling down with a loud sigh, her hands buried in her hair.

All that torture, and for what? A virtually fruitless conversation with Bruce Wayne and yet another painful encounter with Lex Luthor? Fun.

No, perhaps the evening wasn't a total wash, she thought, sitting up. It was psychologically important to stay visible, to make sure they knew she was still watching them. And waiting. But she tired of the mind games, the posturing. And of seeing Lex and feeling like they were each going to explode if they got too near one another.

There was a knock at her door and she groaned. Harvey, perhaps? No, she had told him she was feeling tired and needed to go right to bed.

With a muted curse she rose from the couch and dragged herself back to the door. She looked through the peephole and blinked.

Good God. How was she supposed to handle this now?

She pulled back from the peephole and ran a hand through her hair. He didn't actually know that she was home, did he?

"Chloe, I know you're in there. Open the door."

So much for that.

Lex knocked again, more forcefully this time.

"Go away. You're not any more welcome than you were the last time."

"Chloe, come on. I need to talk to you. Open the door."

"Send me a memo."

"Chloe…This is important. I'll stand out here all night if I have to…"

"Suit yourself. I have earplugs."

"Do your neighbors?"

"They're all musicians, they're up anyway. Go knock on their doors. Maybe they take requests."

"Come on, Chloe… just hear me out. This isn't about the explosion, the money or Bruce, this is about us…Chloe, are you listening to me?"

Chloe leaned her head against the door. "I told you, there is no 'us'" she was startled when the door shook as Lex slammed his hand against it from the other side in what sounded like frustration.

"Dammit, Chloe! There's an 'us' and you know it! There always has been! You can feel it and so can I! All I want to do is explain things to you. Just give me five minutes!" He punctuated the end of his sentence with two more resigned thumps against the door. "Please…"

Chloe pressed her palm against the door where she felt his would be for a long moment, then she skimmed it down towards the doorknob, twisted and pulled.

Lex was standing with his hands braced on either side of the doorframe when she opened the door. His face was a mixture of surprise and relief. Like her, he was still dressed for the party, though he had undone his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt.

"Thank you," he said.

"Five minutes," she replied coolly, shutting the door behind him and gesturing towards the living room.

Once in the living room they turned to face each other. She felt his eyes skimming over her body again. It was brief but it left her feeling very exposed and vulnerable. Unconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What did you want to say?"

Lex took a deep breath and rubbed at his brow before speaking. "Chloe…What Bruce said tonight…what I said…he took it completely out of context. I only said it so he would stop asking questions about our relationship and just move on. He said…what he said, to get a reaction out of you, that's all."

"Why do you even think I care? So you said our relationship was irrelevant. It is, I've said so myself. End of story."

"Chloe, you're not fooling me. I saw the look on your face when he said that. You think I don't know when you're hurt?"

"No, I just think you don't always care..." Chloe replied, without thinking.

"I do care. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"You're late! You're ten years too late!"

"What?"

"Shit…never mind…just forget it…"

The air in her apartment suddenly seemed stifling and Chloe brushed past him towards the balcony doors. She slid the door open and stepped outside letting the cool air hit her flushed skin.

Chloe felt like a conflicted mess. She crossed her arms over her chest again in an effort to warm herself and stop shivering yet her face was burning up.

"Chloe?" came Lex's voice from the doorway. "What do mean by ten years too late? Wait a minute…this is about when you left, isn't it?"

"Lex, just leave. Let's just forget this whole thing."

"No, I can't do that. Not now. Chloe, tell me the truth, when you left Smallville ten years ago, did you want me to follow you?"

Chloe exhaled. "What does it matter?"

"It clearly matters to you. Now be honest, did you want me to follow you?"

"Yes, I mean, no…No!"

"Which is it?"

"I…guess part of me did. I knew that I needed to leave Smallville, because of everything that happened, not just because of you. I knew that I wanted a fresh start somewhere else. But I was also really confused. I didn't know if you still cared about me at all, I guess part of me thought that leaving was the only way of finding out for sure how you felt. I couldn't talk to you, see you, I didn't know what else to do. Then when you didn't come after me…God, it was such a dumb teenaged thing to do, I can't even believe I'm saying any of this…"

Lex stepped up behind her where she stood at the railing with the backdrop of the Gotham City lights and the city's eerie reddish sky behind her.

"God, Chloe, no wonder you hate me."

"I don't hate you, I'm tired and angry and I feel really…stupid."

Lex tentatively placed his hands on her upper arms and slid them up her shoulders. Chloe started a bit but did not shrink away. "Why would you feel stupid?"

"That summer, it was just too intense. I relied on you so much, too much. I relied on you to protect me and my dad, then I relied on you to keep me from going stir crazy in that house, and then it seemed like we were friends, for a while anyway." She shook herself a little and stepped away from him abruptly. "I guess I got caught up in the intensity of it and started thinking that I was really important to you. I couldn't handle the reality that I wasn't. I left because I didn't want to be that person again. Once is enough… Like I said, it was just stupid teenage…angst…and pride…silly stuff that was probably all in my head…nothing we need to rehash now."

"Chloe, it's not stupid and you were important to me. Very important. And I did follow you, at least to Metropolis, why do you think I did that?"

Chloe sniffed and shrugged, with her back still to him.

Lex reached out for her again, this time touching her back at about waist level and she suppressed a sigh at the intimacy of the gesture.

"Chloe, I went after you because I thought I still had a chance at salvaging our…friendship. I was hoping that you had understood why I had to do what I did and that away from Smallville, we could start over. I assumed that you would know why I did what I did. I shouldn't have assumed that, it wasn't fair to you."

Chloe didn't respond. Her mind was spinning too fast.

"Chloe? You believe me, don't you?"

Suddenly she spun around to face him. "If that's true, why didn't you follow me here? Why did you give up so easily? It couldn't have been too hard to find out that I had transferred to Gotham University. If our friendship was really that important, you could have come here."

Lex opened his mouth but he seemed at a loss for something to say.

"Lex?"

"You left! You moved half way across the country! How was I supposed to know that you even wanted anything more to do with that life, let alone me? And what if I _had_ come here and…" he stopped talking abruptly and squeezed his eyes shut.

"And what?" Chloe demanded. She reached up and pulled his chin in her direction again. "What if you had come and what, Lex?"

"What if I had come and you didn't feel the same way?" he whispered, with a wide-eyed expression she had never seen before, one that made him look very young and unsure.

Chloe blinked, stunned for a moment before leaning forward into his chest in a fit of giggles and hiccoughs. "Stupid…stupid…morons…"

"Chloe?"

"We're a couple of idiots, you know? Proud, insecure, butt-reaming idiots…" She looked up and smiled a watery smile at him. Then she reached up and grabbed the lapels of his tuxedo jacket and felt his hands land on her waist. "It wasn't all in my head, was it?" she said, rather than asked.

Lex shook his head. "No, it was never just all in your head." He moved to lean his head down towards hers, then stopped. "Am I still too late?"

Still in her stocking feet, Chloe had to stand on her tip toes to get closer. She shook her head in reply. "I think you can just get it in under the wire."

"I'm sorry." He whispered, as he leaned closer.

"I'm sorry, too."

The end of her sentence was almost cut off by him covering her mouth with his own, though she more than met him halfway. The kiss was very gentle at first as neither seemed very anxious to pull back or deepen it right away.

There was a small part of her brain telling her that she wasn't supposed to be doing this, that Lex was technically still a client and still under investigation, _her_ investigation. But kissing him felt so right, so absolutely natural, that she simply could not make herself stop. She told herself that it would be okay, it _had_ to be okay. It just had to be.

Chloe let go of Lex's lapels and slid her hands up, placing one on his shoulder and one on the base of his neck; she let her index finder lightly trail across the smooth skin she found there. Immediately, his hold on her tightened and he began nipping at her lower lip, silently demanding more access to her mouth. Chloe titled her head and obliged, letting him slip inside to explore and taste.

He felt so warm and strong around her, she didn't think she'd ever want to let go. The fact that she had that thought scared her somewhat but she pushed down the fear and focused on simply feeling and tasting every bit of him that she could. He tasted vaguely of scotch, which seemed right, but he was clearly not drunk. In fact, he suddenly seemed more lucid than he had been in any of their previous encounters. She, on the other hand, was rapidly losing her connection with reality mostly due to the way he was stroking his tongue against the roof of her mouth. The chill in the night air became a distant memory; the heat they were generating between them was more than making up for it. They were both going to need oxygen soon but losing contact with his mouth seemed like a really bad idea to Chloe right now.

Some seconds later, though, she was feeling decidedly lightheaded and she had to pull back slightly. She was still gulping air when she felt Lex move his lips across her chin and down her jaw line. Then he reached up and buried both of his hands in her hair lifting it out of the way so he could trail his kisses down across her neck.

"Oh God."

She wasn't sure how much longer she could trust her knees if he was going to keep doing that.

She pulled his face back to hers and kissed him, long and deep. When they broke apart, she grinned.

"Should we take this inside?"

End Part


	12. Chapter 10B

_And here's the rest of this part. Enjoy. _

**Chapter 10 – Part B**

"Should we take this inside?"

Lex was struggling to catch his breath after that amazing kiss and Chloe had just asked him…something. Individually, he knew what the words meant but his brain was taking its sweet time in deciphering what they meant strung together.

Something about inside… going inside?

He nodded and kissed her again, steering them back trough the doorway as he did so. Blindly, he reached out and grabbed the handle of the balcony door and slid it closed. Once it was secured, he backed her against it and pressed himself fully against her, letting her feel how aroused he was after only a few minutes of kissing.

She gasped into his mouth but didn't seem scared away. Quite the contrary, she pushed back against him, rocking her hips a little, teasing him, urging him to find a rhythm. Which he tried to do…only to discover that there were still too many layers of clothing between them. He pulled back from her only far enough to shrug out of his tuxedo jacket and toss it on a nearby chair. Chloe leaned forward and with a look that would have melted the polar ice caps, pulled his tie out of his collar and tossed it over his shoulder. She then went to work on the buttons on his shirt. Instead of simply ripping it open, she went with an option he found much more pleasurable: she placed hot, open-mouthed kisses on every inch of flesh she uncovered.

He didn't let her get too far down, though, before pulling her back up and claiming her mouth once again. He was so caught up in the taste of her and the feel of her body through the thin fabric of her dress that he didn't realize she was moving them until the back of his legs hit something. He broke the kiss and spared a look behind him. It was the large chair that he had just tossed his jacket on. Before he could even turn around again, Chloe shoved him down. He landed on the seat with a muffled "uumph" and she climbed right onto his lap, gathering her long gown up a bit so she could straddle his legs.

If Lex had a free hand, he would have pinched himself. There was no way that he was lucky enough to have Chloe in his arms like this. Hair mussed from his fingers, swollen lips, and practically spilling out of her dress. This had to be a dream.

And that dress, the dress that had tortured him all night. Did she have any idea how she looked in it?

He pressed his lips against her neck again. "I've wanted to kiss you here all night, ever since you walked into that party wearing this. Right here." He sucked lightly on her pulse point. "And here."

Chloe hummed something incoherent in response, then gasped louder when he bit down lightly, and then soothed the area with another trail of kisses. Too late he realized that he probably should be being more careful so as not to leave marks but she slipped her hands inside his shirt and began running the pads of her fingers over his torso and he figured to hell with it. He could buy her some high-collared shirts.

Their position on the chair allowed for more intimate contact and Chloe began to take full advantage of that fact. She curled as close to him as she could and rocked her hips against his once again. The friction was good, so very good…too good. There was no way he could keep that up for very long without…

"Chloe…" he placed one of his hands on her hip to still her. "Slow…slow down…too fast…"

Ah well, he used to be capable of complete sentences.

She nodded, getting the point. "Sorry, I got a little anxious." She then locked her eyes with his and reached for his wrist. Taking it in both of her hands, she carefully undid the cuff of his shirt, then the other. She then reached up and slid the item off of his shoulder, all the while maintaining eye contact and letting her body brush against his as much as possible. As she tossed the shirt to the side, Chloe pressed kisses on his bare shoulders and he was sure he could feel her smiling against his skin.

Once his shirt was gone, Lex crushed their upper bodies together once more, wrapping one hand around the back of her head so he could control their kiss. His other hand was trapped in the scant space between them, caressing her breast through the fabric of her dress. Yet another thing he had been dying to do all night.

After a few more minutes of kissing and stroking, Lex realized that the chair, however comfortable, had its drawbacks. If they were going to do this – he sucked in a breath as Chloe's fingernails skimmed over his abdominal muscles –- they were going to need more room.

"Chloe."

"Hmmmm?" her face was buried in the crook of his neck.

"Chloe…we should move to wherever your bedroom is…to have more room."

She froze against him for and instant and Lex feared that she had changed her mind.

Instead, though she eased off of his lap, being careful not to hurt him, extended her hand and said, "Upstairs."

"Are you sure?" He had better ask this now, while there was still a small chance of him being able to stop.

She nodded. "Upstairs."

He grasped her hand and let her pull him from the chair and towards the large staircase leading to the loft.

She climbed steps ahead of him and halfway up Lex could not resist taking advantage of the fact that her position on the stairs brought her closer to his height. He turned her around and kissed her once again, teasing her tongue with his. As they kissed, he began gathering up her long skirt with his fingers. He had only intended to kiss her but instinct was taking over. He just wanted to please her, right then and there. He broke their kiss and gently pushed her down until she was seated on one of the stairs, looking thoroughly bewildered.

"Lex? I thought…"

"Shhhh. Just relax."

Kneeling down in front of her, he slid his hands further under her skirt until her reached the tops of her stocking. Being sure to caress as much of her skin as possible, he slowly slid the stocking down her leg and off. He repeated the action with her other leg and smiled to himself when he saw that Chloe looked about ready to melt. He wasn't done yet. He slid up to the stair just below hers, settled close to her and reached under her skirt again, until his hand reached the waistband of her panties. Chloe immediately whimpered and arched into his touch.

Lex pulled her closer with his free arm and pressed his mouth against her neck while plunging his fingers further into her panties.

She jerked against him and muttered something incoherent though Lex was fairly certain that one of the words she was trying to say was his name.

She was warm, wet and…incredibly response. Just seconds after his fingers began to probe and rub at her center, she began making the most amazing sounds. Little moans, sighs, and whimpers that were seriously testing the boundaries of his control.

In an attempt to distract himself from his own urgent need, he leaned over and kissed her again, thoroughly sweeping through her mouth until they both had to part for air. All the while he had kept up the movements of his hand. When they parted, he noticed her squirming a bit against his hand and clutching at the stair so hard her knuckles were white.

"Are you almost there?"

She nodded frantically and moved her hips faster against his hand. "Just...a little…faster?"

"What the lady wants…" Lex replied.

He pulled her even closer, until he was cradling her with his free arm and stroking her faster than before. She was tensing…she was so close…almost there…

Chloe tensed in his arms, arched back, and moaned loudly, clutching his arms as she came…

"God….Leeeex…."

Her body went limp and she wriggled contentedly against his hand, claiming the last ripples of pleasure from him…

The sated look on her face was almost enough to make Lex forget that he was still in desperate need of a release. Almost. Still, she looked damn sexy all limp and cat-like. He gave in to the sudden overpowering urge to kiss her eyelids, forehead, and cheeks and as his did so he pulled his hand from her panties and rested it on her hip.

After a minute or two, his body was reminded him that they really needed to move things along.

"Can you walk?" he whispered.

She grinned. "Someone has a pretty high opinion of their handiwork."

"That's a really bad pun."

Chloe wrinkled her nose in realization. "Oh, yeah…sorry."

"So can you make it to the bed?" he asked again, this time he was unable to keep of the strain out of his voice.

"I can. Can _you_?" There was no obviously hiding his situation from her at this point.

"I'll be fine, just don't touch me…too much until we're there."

They untangled their bodies from one another's and crept up the remaining stairs. Lex had to smile when he saw that Chloe was indeed a bit wobbly on her legs.

They reached her bedroom and Chloe switched on a single bedside lamp. Then she reached behind her to unfasten her dress.

There was no way Lex was going to be left out of that.

"Here, let me."

"Here, let me."

Then his hands were on her again, turning her around so her back was to him. His fingers fumbled about trying to find the hidden zipper. Then it seemed like he was fumbling about just for the hell of it.

Finally he pulled down the zipper and reached around to "help" ease the fabric off of her breasts. It didn't really need much help.

"How was this even staying up---?" he asked, dropping the dress and cupping her breasts with both hands.

Chloe arched back slightly as the silky material pooled around her feet. She then stepped out and turned back to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was just wearing her panties at this point and didn't feel at all self conscious about it.

"C'mon, women have to have _some_ secrets, don't they?"

She leaned up to kiss him briefly and then reached for his belt.

He immediately pulled back. "Wait…don't, remember?"

"Sorry."

"It's OK."

She waited patiently while he discarded his shoes and socks, then undid his belt and carefully released himself from his pants and boxers. He then pushed her down to sit on the bed and kneeled in front of her, hooking his fingers in the thin band of her panties. Lex leaned forward and placed a kiss on each hipbone before sliding the fabric down and off.

"Lie down." He instructed, rising up only far enough to hoist himself onto the bed. Chloe immediately leaned back, unable to take her eyes off of his smooth, muscular form. She was anxious to run her fingers over every smooth inch of his flesh but from the looks of things, they really didn't have time on this go around. Definitely something to put on the "to do" list, though.

He settled over her, his lower body held carefully away, he suddenly stopped short. "Dammit!"

"What?" God, he wasn't going to stop now, was he? She'd have to kill him.

"Condoms?"

OK, that she could fix. Chloe rolled over to the other nightstand and reached into the drawer. She pulled out the package and with slightly shaking fingers, opened it and shook out the foil packets onto the top of the nightstand. She tossed the box down, scooped up one packet and rolled back over in one fluid movement.

"Condoms."

Lex was smirking at her. "New box?"

"Oh, bite me."

He responded by taking the packet from her as he buried his mouth in her neck once again, nipping lightly at the skin there. "Well, since you asked…"

"Lex…ahhhh, that's good…it's not like it's my _first_ box or anything… I just like to keep fresh ones around, you know these things do have a shelf life…"

Lex rolled them over so he was on top and braced himself on his forearms as she babbled.

He ripped open the package and slipped on the condom.

"Besides, it's not like _you_ were much help…How could you not have…"

"Chloe?"

"Hmmm?"

"You can keep talking now or we can do the other thing."

"Smartass."

He lowered himself down, positioned himself at her entrance, gripping one of her thighs as he teased her a bit.

Where he was getting the strength to tease at this point was beyond her.

She nodded and spread her legs wider to give him room. That seemed to be all the signal he needed. He pushed deep inside in one hard movement. Chloe gasped at the force of it.

"Sorry, was that too…?" He stopped and began to pull back.

"No, you just caught me off guard…. Don't stop." She reached around his waist and settled her palms flat against his shoulder blades.

He began moving in her, reaching deep inside her with each movement…but very slowly. It felt wonderful to Chloe but given the state of her arousal at this point, the pace was maddening.

"Lex? I appreciate the fact that you're trying to be gentle but I have done this before. I won't break."

He brushed his lips against her cheekbone. "I know…it's just…"

"What?" Chloe pushed her head deeper into the pillows so she could look at him. "What is it?"

Lex looked almost shy for a moment and when he spoke, his voice as tense. "I never thought I would ever do this with you…I don't know …I mean, I don't want to hurt you and ruin it."

Chloe felt something tighten in her chest. She understood what he was saying, and what he was not saying. Lex had forgotten, if he had ever known at all, how to make love to someone he actually cared about. The realization made her world spin.

She leaned up and kissed him, small, light kisses all over the smooth planes of his face. 'It's OK. Just show me how you feel, it'll be fine. Besides, it's not like this is our only shot at this."

Lex responded by increasing his pace, moving faster and harder while still keeping his eyes locked with hers, silently requesting confirmation. She nodded in return, unable to speak as the exquisite tension began to form in her lower body.

His head fell to her upper chest and he kissed whatever skin he could reach. Meanwhile, Chloe let her hands skim down Lex's lower back, anchoring them there for leverage as she pushed back against his movements.

They were both panting and beginning to sweat a bit from their exertions. Chloe knew she was being far from quiet but she didn't care. Lex was, of course, quieter, he was that way by nature. He was so focused and he expressed himself by the way he moved, the way he kissed her, and stroked what parts of her skin he could reach.

"Better?" he asked, his mouth against her shoulder.

"Uh-huh…" was all she could manage as she wrapped her legs around his hips, letting him reach even deeper inside her.

He rolled his hips and moaned, right into her ear. "You feel good, Chloe….so good."

She didn't respond, she was focused on the friction he was creating with his new angle. God, it almost perfect…she was already so close. Then he was talking again.

"Chloe, I want to look at you. I want to watch you…" He braced his hands on her hips and raised up off of her to show her what he meant. She understood and held onto his waist. "OK."

He rolled them over, keeping their bodies connected, until she was straddling him and he half-sat, half lay, against the large pillows at the head of her bed. Chloe had to reach out and grasp the headboard with her hands to gain her balance. The action brought her breasts almost directly at Lex's eye level.

He smirked mischievously. "See? Better already."

Chloe looked down and laughed. "Now boarding on track one…Lex's brain. God, you're easily distracted."

Lex pushed himself upwards, resuming their movements. She gasped in return and started moving again herself, rising up and down in time with him. He reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands. "You can't really blame me. You have to know how beautiful they are…" He ran his tongue over one nipple, then the other. "Just perfect."

The feel of Lex's mouth on her breasts coupled with the sensations between her legs were more than Chloe could handle. Her grip on the headboard tightened and she began slamming her body down onto his with reckless and erratic force. Lex responded in kind, gripping her hips and thrusting upwards, all the while lavishing attention on her breasts.

The pressure built, higher and higher, tighter and tighter, up from her center, to her breasts and back, until it was almost unbearable. The peak seemed just out of her reach, just beyond her touch…until it broke…sending waves of intense pleasure through her. She was still in the midst of her release when she became vaguely aware of Lex tensing beneath her, groaning out her name through his teeth. She felt him let go, through the thin material of the condom and in the way he clung to her. As their sensations subsided, they both collapsed Lex against the pillow and Chloe on top of him.

She felt him stroking her back with his fingertips as they caught their breath. After a long moment, when she felt like she could move her legs, she climbed off of him, wincing slightly as her inner leg muscles protested, Lex used the opportunity to rise up and dispose of the condom in a nearby wastebasket.

He was next to her on the bed once again within seconds. She was lying on her back, her head propped up by the pillows, one arm bent above her head. She knew she was sweaty and that her hair was probably a wild mess. Lex didn't seem to mind. He was sweaty too. He lay on his side facing her, propping his head up with one hand and he wrapped his other hand around hers and brought it to his lips. Neither of them said anything. Not for a long while. They just lay there, resting, breathing, and watching.

Finally Lex leaned over to press a gentle kiss on her mouth. When he pulled back, she traced the outline of his lips with her thumb and said, "I think things just got a lot more complicated."

"You're right."

End chapter.


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Chloe's loft…the next morning…_

Chloe stepped out her steamy bathroom, her robe tied at her waist and pulling a comb through her wet hair. She stepped closer to her bed and the sleeping figure it contained.

Lex was still asleep, a fact which surprised her. Of course she could have no way of knowing whether he typically slept this heavily or this late. You didn't learn someone's sleeping patterns after only one night together. Still she recalled that when she was in hiding, no matter what time of night she called him, he seemed to be awake. Wide awake. Never groggy, never cranky, always ready to bolster her confidence or soothe her nerves.

She watched as Lex shifted in the bed, rolling onto his back and throwing an arm over his eyes. He tugged the sheets up to about chest level, covering his naked form. Once again comfortable, he settled back into his deep sleep. The skin on his face, head and arms was almost as pale and smooth as her sheets in the early morning sunlight.

He could just be tired. They were very…active last night, after all. Or he could have just become a heavier sleeper since the last time they saw each other. It had been ten years.

It was one of many things, she realized, that she didn't know about him. Ten years was a long time. Yes, he had admitted that he had feelings for her but Lex Luthor was a complex man and a private man. How much would he share with her? How much would he keep from her?

Chloe set her comb down and took one last look at Lex before heading downstairs. She needed to clear her head, to think about what happened next, and busy herself with some mundane tasks.

She looked down at the clothing scattered on the stairs and in her living room. That was a start. She scooped up her discarded stockings, Lex's shirt and jacket and her shoes, remembering the passionate path they had made. The balcony, the chair, the stairs…

_Should we take this inside?_

_I've been wanting to kiss you here all night.._

_God, Chloe, you feel good…so good…_

Chloe's eyes snapped open. She didn't even remember closing them. Placing the clothing pile on a chair, she decided that she needed coffee. And her paper. Routine items. Some things to distract her from the fact that she had slept with Lex Luthor. A man who had been in and out of her dreams for close to ten years. A client under active investigation.

She had bent Allied rules in the past, pushed the envelope to get the job done. This wasn't bending the rules, though; this was a clean break.

And, in all honesty, if given the choice, she'd probably do it again.

Oh, God.

Padding her way to the kitchen she flicked on the coffee maker. As it stated to purr, she reached into the cabinet and pulled out one mug, then after a moment's pause, a second one.

Mugs still dangling from her fingers through their handles, she opened the front door to retrieve her Gotham Gazette…and jumped when she saw a figure in the doorway.

"Hey, CJ! Wow, didn't even have to knock. You _are_ scary! I sure hope you're making coffee because I only brought the bagels," said Danny, walking right past her into the apartment. "This place I go to, Al's, makes the most awesome sesame bagels but they have lousy coffee. Then I figured hey, you of all people would have coffee…"

Danny set the paper sack he was carrying down on the kitchen counter.

Chloe simply blinked at him for a moment. 'What the hell—?'

"…I got you a sesame with cream cheese, I hope that's OK." He pulled a folded newspaper from under his arm thrust it towards her. "Here's your paper by the way."

"What- what are you doing here, Danny?"

He shrugged, "I know it's early but I figured you'd want to get started working on whatever it is you discovered last night. I'm here to help. So, how'd it go? I'll bet Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor were really surprised to see you there. I think you're really getting to them."

Chloe let go of the door and let it slam behind her, rubbing her temple with her free hand.

"Danny, I just got out of the shower--- I'm not even dressed."

She set the mugs down on the counter and tugged the robe tighter around her.

Danny was taking off his jacket, oblivious to her discomfort.

"It's OK. I'll get us set up while you throw some clothes on. Where are your laptop and your files?" He turned and walked out to the living room, looking around.

'Fuck.' Chloe thought, as she tried to keep up with him, still cognizant of the fact that all she was wearing was a bathrobe, which ended just above her knees.

She caught up with him just in time to see him stoop down to pick up something from the floor.

He turned. "Hey, CJ, this was on the floor…" His eyes widened when he realized it was a black silk bow tie, the kind that men wore with tuxedos.

Chloe could see the blush rising in his cheeks as Danny looked from the bow tie to her, as if seeing her for the first time since he walked in. His eyes skimmed down her figure, pausing briefly at the bit of skin at her neck left uncovered by the 'V' of her robe. Chloe blushed herself when she realized he must be seeing the marks Lex had left on her the night before. She immediately reached up and tightened her hold on her robe.

"I…uh…I guess I should have...ah…I had forgotten that you and Harvey used to…you know. I should go…yeah…"

Chloe swallowed. If Danny thought that it was Harvey's tie and that it was Harvey that she had…well, who was she to correct him?

Danny was still fumbling around find his jacket again. "I'm really sorry I didn't call before I came over …I didn't think…you can keep just the bagels…maybe Harvey likes…never mind…"

"Don't worry about it, Danny. Just…you know…go?"

"Yeah…sorry…"

"Chloe? Are you alright?" A sleepy male voice coming from the loft caused them both to freeze.

Chloe winced, willing Lex to stay upstairs until she could get rid of Danny.

"Chloe, is someone here? I heard voices." Lex asked.

Chloe swallowed. "It's OK. It's…nothing. I'll be up in a second," she called up, praying that he would take that as a hint.

She turned back to Danny, who no longer looked flustered. In fact his face had hardened into a stony scowl.

"That's not Harvey is it?" he whispered.

"Danny…"

"I know Harvey's voice, that wasn't it. And he just called you 'Chloe'; everyone else calls you 'CJ'. Everyone except _him_."

"You need to go, Danny."

"What are you doing? He's a client for God's sake!"

"I know that! Look, Just let me handle it, okay?"

Danny frowned again. "You're making a mess, CJ. A real mess. And who's going to clean it up?" Realizing that he still had the bow tie in his hands, he threw it down on the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Chloe covered her face with her hands and let out a breath. Yes, messy was a good word for it. Now on top of everything else, her working relationship and likely her friendship with Danny were now wrecked. Things had been tense before but now…

Chloe dropped her hands and looked up the staircase.

Lex was standing near the top of the stairs, dressed in only his pants from the night before.

His eyes locked with hers as he began to descend the stairs. "Your paper boy's loud," He said dryly.

"It was Danny."

"I figured. Early visit, especially for a Sunday."

"Well I sure didn't invite him. He just stopped by…hoping we'd work or something. Then he realized that I wasn't alone. At first he thought you were Harvey…"

"And now he doesn't?"

"Now he doesn't, he figured it out."

"I see. That explains the yelling and the slamming door. He doesn't like me much, does he?"

"You could say that."

"And it's not just a jealousy thing, either. He really doesn't like me." Lex observed.

"He doesn't trust you."

"Yes, I get that a lot."

Chloe fiddled with the sash of her robe. "Lex, last night was…good, great… nice…you know what I mean."

"I do know. And I agree. Last night was wonderful."

"So now what?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you want to leave this here. Whether you think it would be easier for you to pretend last night didn't happen."

"Easier for which me? For the me that's an insurance investigator and has a job to do or for the me that's just plain old Chloe Sullivan who just spent the night with you and is going to have trouble thinking about anything else every time we're in a room together?"

As if that wasn't already a problem before last night.

Lex stepped closer and placed his palm against her cheek. "I know that your job is important to you. I'll understand if you decide that this is not worth the risk."

"You will?" she asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"Well, obviously I won't like it, but I will respect your decision."

"What if I don't know what that decision is? Hell, I don't even know what my choices are. We can forget that last night ever happened or what? We have an affair? We date? What? What do you want, Lex?"

Lex brought up his other hand to cup the other side of her face. Before she could say anything else, he brought his mouth down over hers and kissed her, slow and deep.

Caught somewhat off guard, Chloe placed her hands at his waist to steady herself, then slid her hands around to knead the tight flesh of his lower back. She moaned as he titled his head to deepen the kiss even more, allowing it to become more of a passionate assault than a caress.

He pulled back, still holding her face between his hands, "I want you, Chloe. It's as simple as that. I want you in my life, anyway I can have you."

She swallowed. "After one night with me you're so sure about this?"

"It's not the one night; it was the ten years without you that made me sure."

* * *

_Lex's Metropolis Apartment…later that day…_

Lex buttoned his shirt as he walked down the hallway leading from his bedroom to the living room. He didn't bother buttoning it up all the way nor did he tuck it into his pants. His feet were also still bare. He had dressed quickly, anxious to get back to Chloe, who was waiting for him in his living room.

After his admittedly bold statement to her earlier, they had both agreed to table the conversation until they had both gotten themselves together, physically and mentally. Chloe showered and changed and rode back to Lex's apartment with him so he could do the same. They decided that they would simply let the rest of the day unfold from there. There was still something hanging in the air between them, something unsaid. It seemed that they both knew that the best way to bring it out would be to simply spend this lazy Sunday together.

Chloe was over by the bookcase, with her back to him. She was running her finger across the spines of the books, pausing every now and then when a title intrigued her.

She had dressed simply, in jeans and a white shirt and with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked younger to Lex than she had looked in the preceding days.

Silently, he crossed the room to stand at her side and simply watched her as she pulled a book down from the shelf, fingered it gingerly and replaced it.

"Something wrong with the collection?" he asked, noting her slight frown.

"No, not really. It just…a bit heavier on the mystery than I would expect. You've got everything from Arthur Conan Doyle to the latest political thrillers. It's not what I would expect from your library."

"Ah, well, keep in mind that this isn't my full-time home. These are only part of my collection. The bulk of my library is in Metropolis and some of it is in storage. One thing I do miss about that monstrosity in Smallville, it had ample space for books."

One corner of Chloe's lips curled up at the word he used to describe his Smallville residence. "Monstrosity? Tell me how you really feel. Did you really have it torn down after you left? I had heard something to that effect."

"You heard correctly. I did. Brick by brick. I wish it were just as easy to get rid of the bad memories associated with that place."

"The town or the building?"

"Ah, fair point. But they wouldn't let me tear down the whole town."

"Now that's a real shame. Do you ever see anybody?"

"I hear about Clark and Lois from time to time, as would be expected since we live in the same city. No one else. You?"

Chloe simply shook her head.

Before Lex could ask Chloe to elaborate, he was interrupted by an embarrassingly loud gurgling sound – and it wasn't coming from him.

Chloe colored at once.

"Hungry?" he teased.

"Maybe a little. I suppose you have a staff of people hiding around here somewhere to feed us?"

"You suppose incorrectly, Miss Sullivan. I employ one person, part-time, for this apartment. When I am here, her duties consist of cleaning and making sure that the kitchen is well stocked; I cook for myself."

Chloe cocked her head to one side. "Prove it."

* * *

_Lex's kitchen… some time later…_

"…We decided the only way to prove that it was an inside was to catch the guy red-handed. We set up surveillance by tapping into the existing closed circuit camera feed and watched the house from truck parked in the lot across the street."

"And what happened?" Lex asked, transfixed. They were sitting at the counter in Lex's kitchen, having just eaten the brunch of omelets, fruit and toast that Lex prepared. At Lex's urging, Chloe had begun telling stories of her more colorful field investigations as they ate.

"Two nights go by and nothing. It's making me crazy. Finally around midnight on the third night, we see someone creeping about the place, opening and closing the holding bins and whatnot. He's all over the place, in all the sections. I figure our best shot is to cover the exits and prevent him from leaving. I send my partner to the north exit and I cover the south until we see on our remote camera that he's coming to the south so I radio my partner to head south to back me up and to hit the lights on the way. The thief's right in front of me when the place lights up and it's me with my weapon pointed at his chest and him…with twelve live turtles in his pants."

Lex burst out laughing, so hard that tears formed at the edges of his eyes. In between his fits of laughter his able to ask, "So who was it? Who was stealing the reptiles?"

"It was the zoo's financial director. He knew that the place was going to come up short with its budget at the end of the year and it would be his head on the block so he devised a plan to sell some animals on the black market, collect the cash, then report them as stolen or escaped and collect the insurance. By collecting both ways, he could make up for the shortfall caused by his own mismanagement." Chloe paused to drink the last of her orange juice. "Gotta give the guy credit, though, he was determined to make the plan work even if it meant some…very personal risk."

"Determined? I have a different name for a man who smuggles reptiles out of a zoo in his pants. Try deranged."

Chloe smirked and shrugged. "He did have some sense…he bypassed the snapping turtles."

Lex doubled over with laughter and Chloe joined in. It had been a long time since she laughed this hard or had this much fun telling war stories. She had forgotten how similar Lex's sense of humor was to hers. To the outside world Lex seemed very serious and focused but she knew firsthand that it did not take much to bring his sarcastic and wry wit to the surface.

When they recovered, she patted her full stomach. "Brunch was delicious, Lex. I'll never doubt your culinary talents again."

He responded by leaning in close and patting her thigh. "I don't want you to doubt _any_ of my talents. In fact, why don't you stay and we can send the day working up an appetite for dinner?"

Chloe felt her mouth go dry briefly when Lex leaned close. Her eyes flicked to his perfect mouth for a second, nearly ready to give in to his suggestion, but she caught herself.

"No one could ever accuse you of being subtle, Lex. Not that I'm not tempted by your offer but…"

Lex nodded and leaned back on his stool. "But, I'm guessing you'd like to talk first?"

"I think we'd better, Lex."

"OK, why don't you go make yourself comfortable in the living room? I'll bring us some more coffee and then we can talk."

Chloe slid down off the stool and headed for the living room, sparing one last glance at Lex as he began preparing coffee for the two of them. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up for cooking and he had still not buttoned it up all the way or tucked it in. It really was not fair of him to walk around looking that delicious. How the hell was she supposed to concentrate on anything else?

She walked down the hall towards the sunken living room, past the simple and carefully selected paintings and art pieces. Lex's apartment was meticulously decorated and lacked the cool barely lived-in feel she had been expecting from Lex's part-time home. The furniture was well-chosen, she thought, sinking into the impossibly soft sofa. The sofas, chairs, and rugs were all made of plush fabrics that one would not mind losing themselves in for a day or so. Giving in to the urge, Chloe pulled of her shoes and socks and buried her feet in the plush carpeting. She knew she shouldn't make herself too comfortable but it was hard not to relax in such an environment.

"Comfortable?" said Lex, appearing out of nowhere with a tray holding two steaming cups. He set the tray on the low side table and sat down next to her.

Chloe looked up quickly, slightly embarrassed to be caught so unawares. "It's hard not to be. Your apartment isn't what I expected."

"You expected dark wood and stone walls, maybe?"

"No, just not type of furniture you'd be able to curl up on for hours."

Lex shrugged and sipped his coffee. "You wanted to talk?"

"I…wanted to ask you some questions."

Lex looked intently at her. "Questions about us or questions about the investigation?"

Chloe didn't answer and she knew that her silence would answer for her.

Lex seemed o get the message. He set down his cup. "I see. Well, you interrogated Bruce; it's only fair that I get a turn too. Go ahead, ask away."

"Lex…"

"Chloe, let's just get this over with." His voice was terse but not cold.

Chloe frowned at his words. Part of her hoped that Lex would say that he had nothing to hide. He hadn't. Of course, it was possible that it was not something that Lex would say under any circumstances.

"OK, did you send plans for prototype military bots to the Pentagon?"

"Yes I did."

"Even though you knew Bruce disagreed with you on that? Why?"

"Bruce may have his reasons for not wanting to build military robots but they're not my reasons. This company is half mine. I felt that we had an obligation to show the military what we were capable of doing."

"Why?"

"Because the technology could save lives."

"To Bruce they're weapons."

"Weapons in a sense but they would allow for reconnaissance, mine clearing and host of other functions without putting soldiers' lives at risk. Bruce is being short sighted."

"Do you know his reasons?"

Lex ran a hand over his head. "He's never voiced them to me specifically but it's not that hard to figure out. Eventually, though, I believe he will change his mind."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Hope? You still plan to go forward with your plans?"

"Chloe, this project has come too far for me…for us to abandon it at this point, even after all that's happened. When you complete your investigation and Allied pays the claim, I intend for us start production again as soon as the plant can be rebuilt."

"And what about Bruce and his opposition to the military robots."

"I've known him for a long time and I know he's stubborn but so am I. I really think the facts are on my side on this one. I have my contacts at the Pentagon putting together some estimates the reduction in combat mortality - that sort of thing. That kind of evidence is hard to ignore."

Chloe studied Lex's face for a minute. "He's not far off the mark, is he?"

"Who?"

"Bruce. When he accused you of using the joint venture to lay the groundwork for a political career. He's not far off the mark."

"You really read _all_ of our emails, didn't you?" Lex answered, making no effort to hide his smirk.

Chloe had no patience for his reaction. "You expected less of me? Now answer the question."

Lex rose from the sofa. "I have an interest in public office, I admit that. I think there is a great deal I can offer a city, a state or even the U.S. Senate. However, my interest in public office is not the only reason I'm pursuing this. Bruce may believe that but that's his problem."

"Lex, Luthor Corp is a billion-dollar corporation, what can you possibly do in public office that you can't already do now?"

"Plenty." he answered cryptically, his voice barely audible.

"Such as?"

Lex slid his hands into his pockets and shook his head. "I'm not sure I can explain it, Chloe. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

He didn't answer.

"Lex?"

Suddenly he reached deeper into his pocket, pulled out a wad of bills and dropped them on the table in front of her. They hit the surface with a loud smack.

"Look at that. What is it?"

"It's money. What are you doing?"

"You're right, it's money. Now pick it up."

"Lex…"

"Pick it up!" Chloe started at his suddenly elevated voice and slowly picked up the pile of cash. It was stack of smooth bills, mostly hundreds, about a half an inch thick.

"Does it look any different than any other money you've seen in your life?" he asked.

Chloe ran her fingers over the currency paper. "No, it's just regular money."

"No, you see that's where you're wrong! It _is_ different. You see _that_ money is absolutely worthless to some people because it came from me!" He began pacing, never losing eye contact with her and keeping his voice low and tight. "It's been ten years, Chloe. Ten years since that son of a bitch died and people still act like it's wrong, immoral even, to accept Luthor money. I've had checks sent back to me from children's homes, hospitals, medical research programs, even colleges, so many I've lost count. You want to talk about irony? I'm trying to _give_ money away and these people won't take it! It's almost laughable except I stopped laughing after the first year."

"Lex…" Chloe laid the money on the table again and stood. "Not everyone, right? It can't be everyone?"

"You're right, it's not everyone, but it's enough…it's enough to make me want to do something, anything to…change it…to fix it…"

"…to prove that you're not him?"

He held up one finger. "No, not that! I already know that!"

Chloe stepped closer to him and placed her hands on his shoulder. "I know it and you know it but I think you believe that no one else does."

"Can you blame me? After all I have done to clean out Luthor Corp. of the corruption, the questionable dealings, and the outright scum, after ten years, almost every single media article about me or the company ends with a reference to how my father died, coughing up blood on the floor of prison hospital room. It's almost as if they _like_ bringing up the image, as if bringing it up makes it happen over and over again, and makes him relive it again and again."

Chloe frowned as she rubbed his shoulders through the fabric of his shirt. She knew the media's methods well enough to know that describing Lionel Luthor's gruesome end made for good headlines, even now. No one had probably ever given a second thought as to what it did to _Lex_ Luthor.

"I'm sorry, Lex."

"Don't be. What's there to be sorry about? I'm not stupid. I know he deserves everything they print about him, every piece of mud and filth they sling and more. There are times I'm angry that the cancer got him in the end; angry that I couldn't have figured out something that was even more painful. He deserved every bit of pain he endured."

Then she felt him shake himself a bit, as if he was pulling himself together both physically and mentally.

"But do you? Why do you have to relive it too?" she asked.

Lex turned in her arms and placed his hands on either side of her face. "Chloe, understand this, I'm not trying to redeem Lionel Luthor in this. He can burn in hell for all I care. And I know deep down that don't have to pay for what he's done but the reality is that we share the same name. I can either give into everyone's perception of that name or change it altogether. I'm not giving in."

"Don't take this the wrong way but why do you care? If you know who you are, should it matter what the papers say about you? You know that they're wrong."

"Haven't you ever heard of a legacy? Something that stays behind after you're gone? As it stands now, I've let my father determine mine when it should be the other way around. I want to change that, I need to change it. There's so much I can do, so many things I can fix, Chloe. If people would just open their eyes."

"Call me crazy but I think a legacy, if that's what you're really looking for, has more to do with the people who know you, like I do, than with titles and money."

"Perhaps, but as I've said before, you'd be surprised how rare it is that I meet someone like you, Chloe. Not everyone knows me like you do."

* * *

_Gotham's Robinson Park…later that afternoon…_

"So do you believe me now?" Chloe asked, squeezing Lex's forearm as they walked alongside the bike path of Gotham's Robinson City Park.

"Yes, the park is very beautiful, Chloe. I stand corrected. Gotham City is not just dank streets and gothic buildings with crumbling gargoyles. It's just _mostly_ dank streets and gothic buildings with crumbling gargoyles," he teased back, then side stepped her hands as she attempted to poke him in the ribs. After a brief, light-hearted scuffle, he slipped his arm around her waist again and they continued walking.

"This was a good idea, though. I've been coming to Gotham several times a year for over fifteen years now and I don't think I've ever walked in the park."

"Well I guess there's a first time for everything, isn't there? While I wouldn't necessarily come here after dark, this park is really something, though. I come here a lot to think, run, read, whatever. Gotham doesn't have a lot of green spaces, I'll grant you that but we do make the most of what we have."

"We? You consider Gotham home now?"

Chloe seemed to mull it over before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess. I work here, my friends are here, I've been off and on for ten years. I don't have a reason not to."

"And your father? Where is he living now?"

"California. Fresno, actually. Every year he says he's going to retire 'next year' and next year comes and he's still working. He's fine though. He golfs, he has a girlfriend, a widow who has grandkids that he can spoil a bit. That takes some of the pressure off me." She gave a wry half-smile. "I see him three or four times a year when I fly out there."

"Does he ever come visit you?"

"God, no. He thinks Gotham is too dangerous. He hates that I live here. He emails me articles about Batman from the newspaper as not-so-subtle hints that I should move elsewhere."

"If he thinks this city is too dangerous, what does he think about your job?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip.

"Chloe….? He doesn't know, does he?"

"He knows that I'm an insurance investigator and he knows I work for Allied. He just doesn't know the specifics."

"Like the fact that you're licensed to carry a gun and all the other things you do…"

"I may have left those parts out," she whispered.

Lex closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his free hand. "Don't you think he has a right to know?"

"So he can worry himself sick conjuring up scary scenarios? No thanks. It's better this way."

Lex was about to protest when he realized that one week back in Chloe's life and one night in her bed did not give him the right to second-guess her relationship with her father. Arguing the point further would only make her angry. He really didn't want to do that, not after the idyllic afternoon they had spent together. After their conversation at the apartment, they had talked some more, about trivial things, news, entertainment, anything but the large pink elephant in the room, of course.

Then he had made the comment about there not being very much scenery to enjoy Gotham and she had taken it as a challenge. She grabbed their jackets and informed them that they were going to the park. They had been there for two hours now.

"You're right, it probably is better this way," he agreed.

Chloe narrowed her eyes and turned to face him, leaning up a bit on her toes. "You agreed to that fairly easily. I expected more of an argument."

Lex put his hands at her waist and pulled her closer. "Maybe I was distracted by that ice cream stand behind you." Then he laughed when Chloe's head instantly turned at the words 'ice cream.'

She turned back, considerably redder.

"Some things never change." he said. "I could always get your attention by mentioning ice cream."

"OK, genius, what flavor?"

Lex cocked his head to one side. "Hmmmm, if memory serves, chocolate was 'too obvious', vanilla was 'too boring', strawberry was 'too pink' so that leaves…. chocolate chip?"

"Got it in one. And if _my_ memory serves, you're a chocolate man, always have been. Right?"

"Got it in one." He began to reach into his pocket for cash but she stopped him. "Nope, this is my treat. And before you get bent out of shape about me refusing your money, remember, you supplied me with ice cream for three months in the dead of summer. I think I owe you, plus interest."

Before he could protest, Lex's cell phone rang and Chloe used the interruption to back way towards the stand. "One chocolate cone, coming up!" Her enthusiasm made him smile.

Still grinning, Lex flipped open his phone. "Luthor."

"Lex, it's Bruce. Where are you?"

Lex's eyes shifted to where Chloe stood at the ice cream stand ordering their cones. She had a big smile on her face, the biggest he had seen all week.

"I'm a little busy right now, Bruce. Can this wait?"

"This won't take long. I just wanted to tell you that we may have solved our problem with your insurance investigator friend."

"What are you talking about?"

"Allied's investigation into the plant explosion is as good as dead."

"Hold it, what do you mean 'dead'?"

Chloe handed the ice cream man her money and took two cones from him. She was now heading back towards him, one treat in each hand and a smile gracing her pretty face.

Bruce voice was unreadable when he replied. "You'll see tomorrow, Lex. Have a good night."

The connection was broken just as Chloe arrived in front of him to hand him his cone.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

"Is everything OK?"

"Yes, it's fine."

Chloe caught an errant chocolate chip with her tongue. "Who was on the phone?"

Lex's head was spinning. What the hell was Bruce talking about? What did he mean by 'dead'?

"Lex?"

He snapped back to reality. Back to the woman in front of him. Chloe.

"It was a wrong number."

End chapter.


	14. Chapter 12

_Thanks for all the FB. As long as I know people are still reading this, I'll keep posting...  
_

**Chapter 12**

_Lex's Gotham apartment…early the next morning_

For the second time in as many days, Lex Luthor rolled over in bed searching for the warm body of his lover only to find empty space instead. This morning, however, he knew instinctively that she simply wasn't in another room somewhere, she was really gone. He knew even before he saw the note propped on his nightstand.

Lex blinked to adjust to the early morning light streaming into his bedroom. Gotham sunshine might be depressingly grayish in tone but it could still be bright first thing in the morning. Sitting up in bed, he reached for the folded note and opened it:

_Lex – _

_OK, you win. There is an 'us' after all. However, there is also still a 'me' and I need some time to myself today to think some things through. _

_We'll talk later tonight._

_Chloe_

He read the note three times, hoping to get something more from it than just the few words she had written but there seemed to be no message there other than 'wait and see.'

Lex fell back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. Wait and see. What other choice did he have?

* * *

_Allied Insurance Bldg…Chloe Sullivan's office…_

The cleaning crew was still finishing up their nightly rounds when she arrived that morning. Most of the lights on her floor were still out. But, having left Lex alone in his bed, and having no desire to be alone in her own, Chloe saw no alternative but to arrive at work absurdly early and prepare for her next move.

She carefully piled all her files on the LW Technologies case into a box, set it on her desk, and waited. As soon as Ted Dandridge came in, she would hand over the files and request to be removed from the case. There might be some disciplinary consequences as well, though to be honest, she had no idea. As far as she knew there was no specific 'Do not sleep with clients under active instigation' rule in the employee handbook but she might have skipped over it.

She was staring out her office window watching the city come alive when she heard a noise behind her. She turned. It was Danny, holding a box of his own.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said.

"It's my office, isn't it?" She matched his flat tone without intending to.

"I figured you'd be at the Wayne office or…somewhere else." Danny stepped closer to the desk and set down his own box. "Here's everything I have on LW Tech. I wasn't sure what to do with it. I was going to leave it in here…"

"Don't bother. I'm asking Ted to take me off that case as soon as he gets in. You might as hang on to that stuff and mine. He'll probably hand the case over to you anyway."

"I don't want it."

"Don't tell me that. Tell Dandridge, I doubt it'll be my call." She looked up from her desk, which she had been tracing idle shapes on with her index finger, to see Danny's stern face. It was a mixture of anger and something else…pity? God, she hoped it wasn't that. But, no, it was more like another look she was very familiar with.

"Don't look at me like that, Danny."

"Don't look at you like what?"

"Like THAT… Like I disgust you, like you're sooooo disappointed in me, like you don't know what to make of me. I've had more than enough of that look to last a lifetime."

"I didn't realize that I was…"

"Well you were!"

Danny took an involuntary step back. "What do you expect? Do you expect me to say that I approve of what you did? You lied right to my face about you and Lex Luthor."

"That's where you're wrong! I told you the truth; Lex and I were not involved this way years ago. We were friends. We had feelings for each other obviously but we never acted on them until the other night."

She paused to catch her breath. "Look, I know that I screwed up. I thought I could handle this without things getting complicated but I couldn't and here we are. And you're right, I made a mess. I'm trying to clean it up. You can hang around and look disappointed in me for hours on end or you can acknowledge that I'm a human being and that I will occasionally make mistakes. So which is it?"

Danny stared at her for a long moment before answering and it wasn't even remotely the answer she was expecting.

"Why him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why Lex Luthor of all people? Is he really the kind of man you want, CJ? All that power and money…?"

Chloe shook her head slowly. "You really don't know me, do you? If you think that what's happening with Lex and I is about money and power, you really don't know me at all."

"Then tell me, why Lex?!!!" he demanded.

"Is that really the question you're asking? Why Lex? Or is it why not you?"

His silence answered the question.

"Danny, I know what it's like to have feelings for someone and not have them returned the way you'd like them to. Believe me, I know. That's why I've tried to be clear with you from the start, we're friends, and we're colleagues but not…not anything else. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't bother you that he could still be the one behind all of this?"

"Are you even listening to me? Did you hear what I just said?"

"What did he say when you asked him? Did he even deny it?"

Chloe froze. Her mind was racing to recall what Lex had said.

_Had_ she even asked him?

Oh God.

No, not in so many words.

Why hadn't she asked him?

She sank into her chair.

Did she not ask him because she was so distracted by her feelings for him? Or because she just didn't want to know the answer? Which was worse?

"CJ? What did he say?"

Her cell phone rang and she grabbed for it.

"Hello?"

"Sullivan, where are you? Have you been to the Wayne Building this morning?" It was Ted Dandridge and he did not sound happy.

"I'm in my office…I came here to talk to you about…"

"Whatever it is, it can wait. You and Pena get in my office now."

The phone went dead. She tuned back to Danny, still confused.

"That was Ted, he wants us in his office ASAP. He sounded pretty upset." She looked suspiciously at Danny.

"Don't look at me; I didn't say anything to him."

"Then what's this about?"

* * *

_Ted Dandridge's office….a few minutes later_

Ted was pacing the length of his office when Chloe and Danny entered a few minutes later.

"There you two are! Let me tell you this is not the way I wanted to start my Monday."

Chloe and Danny exchanged a startled look.

"What do you mean?" asked Chloe.

Ted thrust a printout into her hands. "This is what I mean. It was sitting on my desk when I got in this morning. Someone was busy this weekend."

Chloe could not stop the blush that spread over her face at Ted's words but she soon realized that he wasn't referring to her.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"It's a notice of payment from Allied Insurance to LW Technologies in the amount of $200 million. Dated today."

"WHAT?!!!"

"Ted, who in the world authorized this? This isn't supposed to get paid until Investigations signs off on it. That means you or me…"

"I know that and you know that but try telling that to our Board. _They're_ the ones who paid it."

"But why? The investigation isn't nearly over…"

"Didn't I tell you this from the start, CJ? Something stinks here and this proves it. Somebody on our Board is probably cozy with someone at LW and pushed this through behind our backs. This must be why they were dragging their feet at the start. Allied never intended to investigate this in the first place and they sure as hell weren't going to send you."

"Wait, then who gave the OK to send us in?" Danny wanted to know.

"I did. I assumed that I had authority over my own people. Apparently I was wrong. I just got off the phone with the Allied's chief counsel, the little weasel. He chewed on my ass for doing my job! He said the claim has been paid and the investigation is to be considered complete."

Chloe shook her head. "I can't believe this, I can't believe Allied would just hand over $200 million just like that. It doesn't make any sense."

Ted crossed his arms. "I'll say. $200 million is a lot of money, even for a company of our size. We wouldn't risk that kind of cash unless we were sure whatever we were getting in return was worth it."

"So what do you think we're getting?" asked Danny.

"Damned if I know. CJ?"

"I have no idea, sir."

Danny looked from Chloe to Ted "So what now? Is there anything we can do?"

Ted sighed heavily after a long moment. "Not unless one of you wants to march up to the boardroom and ask the Directors what the hell they're smoking." He spared a look at Chloe. "That was a joke, CJ. Unless you want to get fired, I wouldn't advise it."

Chloe frowned but didn't deny that the thought had been appealing, momentarily at least.

"Danny, go call the rest off the team and tell them to shut down. We're going to have to call this one off, as much as I hate to say it. Unless we all want to get fired, we're going to have to go along with this."

Danny nodded. "Yes, sir." He looked briefly at Chloe before leaving the office.

When Danny was gone, Ted gave Chloe a resigned smile. "Win some, lose some, eh?"

"Win some, lose some? That doesn't sound like the Ted Dandridge I know."

"Maybe, but one of the first things I learned as a cop is that you can't catch every one, you can't put 'em all away, no matter how much you might want to or how much they deserve it. It's just the nature of the game. Some of these guys are going to slip through the cracks. You have to learn to choose your battles, and learn to live with the choices you make."

Ted rounded his desk and sat down. "Who knows, we might not have seen the last of LW Tech after all. Between you and me, I'd advise you lock up anything you got from the company up somewhere safe just in case. Anything that comes across my desk with these guys' name on it, it's yours."

Chloe shifted on her feet. "I don't think that's a good idea. Actually, that's what I was going to talk to you about this morning. You would have had to remove me from this case anyway."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"Ted, there's something you should know…"

* * *

_Chloe's apartment…later that evening…_

Four weeks unpaid leave. That was her punishment. More or less.

Ted hadn't yelled or screamed. He had looked surprised and somewhat disappointed in her. He had consulted with HR briefly and with little mention of the specifics to come up with a course of action. As it turned out, there was no 'don't sleep with a client under active investigation' rule in the employee handbook. There was plenty about Allied employees not sleeping with each other (which Chloe almost laughed out loud at given the issues with Danny but she caught herself) but nothing about clients.

"We'll have to catch that in the next revision," Ted had quipped. Almost apologetically, he had settled on the four weeks leave option, effective immediately. It only made sense since she was between cases and, as he supervisor, he had to do _something_. It would be stated on her employee record as simply a violation of company policy even though technically, it wasn't.

Chloe didn't argue, though. What was the point? She had screwed up, regardless of what some stupid employee manual said.

Chloe had left Allied without a word to anyone else, even when she passed Danny and several of her coworkers in the hall.

Now, curled up on her sofa in what her father used to euphemistically call her 'grumpy day' sweats, she thought about what was really bothering her. Four weeks unpaid lave she could handle; ditto on the "official reprimand" in her file. She could even get over the disappointed looks from Ted and Danny. What she couldn't handle was knowing that she had let this—whatever it was—with Lex affect her judgment so much. How could she not ask him outright if he was involved in the explosion? Even before Saturday, they had had numerous encounters. True, the evidence had pointed to Bruce and confronting him first had seemed to make more sense. Still, if it had been anyone else, any other man, would she have overlooked something so basic?

_It's called the direct approach, Captain, perhaps you've heard of it._

Her own words haunted her. So much for being in control. Letting her feelings affect her judgment and decision making; that was something the naïve teenage Chloe Sullivan did. Not this Chloe. This Chloe was supposed to be smarter, tougher than that.

There was a knock at the door and Chloe felt grateful for the distraction from her wallowing, until she considered that it might be Lex at the door. She had promised to phone him today.

She rose from the couch and slunk over to the door. If it was Lex, maybe he'd be scared doff by the frightful mess she was in her sweats. They were certainly a far cry from the dress she wore on Saturday. Looking through the peephole, she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't Lex, it was Ted.

Chloe flung back the door. "Ted, what are you doing here?"

"In the neighborhood?" he ventured.

"Try again." She replied, gesturing from him to come in.

"Good girl, I wouldn't have bought that one either. I wanted to see how you were."

"Now that I believe…even though it's only been four hours, you big worrywart. Go have a seat, the living room is that way. You've been here before, right?"

"Once or twice. I think the last time was when you broke your wrist, what two years ago?"

"Year and a half," Chloe corrected, from the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"

"Water's fine."

"One water coming up." Minutes later she joined him I the living room, holding two glasses.

"You fell off a building, as I recall, although I can't remember what the devil you were doing at the time."

"Tracking down a check forging ring. I was taking photos of the shop where they printed their bogus checks when I tripped. I hurt my wrist trying to hang on to the gutters." She flexed her wrist for him. "Oh well, at least now I know when it's going to rain, right?"

"Yeah, that's true." Ted smiled momentarily as he swirled the water in his glass. "CJ, I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for this."

"Responsible how?"

"I insisted that you take this case, even knowing your background with Luthor. You hesitated and I pressed the issue. That wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I'm sorry."

"No, you shouldn't take the blame on this. You're my boss, you sent me to do my job. You couldn't have known what would happen from there. Hell, I didn't know. I made my own decisions and I now I'll take the consequences. It's as simple as that."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure about much these days, Ted, but I've got four weeks of nothing to do but think about it. I'm sure I'll come up with something."

Chloe sat down in the arm chair and immediately regretted it because images of herself and Lex on the very same chair two nights ago began running through her mind. She had to shake her head to gain control.

Ted appeared not to notice. Instead he reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a folder packet of pages. "Well, if you're already bored out of your skull, maybe you can give me your opinion on something."

"Ted, I'm on leave…"

"Which is why it won't hurt anything for you to just take a look at this. I got to thinking; $200 million is an awful lot of cash for Allied to come up with that quickly. Even when Investigations signs off on a claim of that size, it still typically takes a few days to get the money into liquid form and into the General Claims Fund for payout. As you know, the Feds only require us to keep a percentage of our payable claims in the GCF at any given time. Anything above that we can invest elsewhere until we need it."

"I know, I know. Where are you going with this?"

"The thing that's been bothering me all day is where this money came from so fast. So I did some digging. This is a list of recent deposits and withdrawals into and out of Allied's GCF Account…" He leaned forward and spread the pages on the coffee table. "There, see that item I've circled? That's the $200 million being wired in just after the European banks opened this morning, several hours before any of our banks opened. And there? That's the $200 million being wired out to LW just minutes after the American banks opened."

Chloe squinted at the printout and frowned. "Somebody was anxious. But you're right. That money wasn't in the fund before this morning. So where did it come from? One of Allied's overseas accounts?"

"CJ, I know our overseas account numbers. That origination code doesn't match any of them." He tapped the code on the circled item.

Chloe looked at the code again. "I've never seen that code either. Did you run it by finance?"

"I did, but I didn't tell them what it was about, and I'm glad I didn't."

"Why? Who owns the account? Whose money is that?"

"That account is an overseas transactional fund for the U.S. Treasury. _Uncle Sam_ owns that account."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not kidding you. Allied paid that claim with $200 million in U.S Government money."

"OK, this is _so_ not over."

End chapter.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Wayne Enterprises Executive offices…later that afternoon_

"C'mon, Chloe. Pick up," muttered Lex as he paced the floor of the empty conference room, listening to the ringing tone on his cell phone as he tried for the third time to reach Chloe on hers. One call to a person was usually his limit but this was different. This was an emergency. This was Chloe.

He would stop at three calls.

Maybe.

"Hi, this is CJ. I can't answer your call right now…" Lex groaned as he heard her voice mail click in again and quickly decided that this time he would leave a message as opposed to continuing to redial like some sort of crazed stalker. Or worse, a lovesick teenager.

"Chloe, it's Lex. Look, I know you said this morning before you left that we would talk later but that was before …before _I_ knew about the payment. We really need to talk. Give me call."

He snapped his phone shut and slipped it into his pocket. Then he took a deep breath and ran his hands over his head.

Waking up in bed without Chloe was bad enough but the day had only gone downhill from there.

It had taken all the strength in the world not to punch the smug look of off Bruce's face when he strolled into Lex's office with the notice of payment that morning. It wasn't that Lex wasn't happy about the payment; that $200 million had come just in time. It was exactly what they needed to get the venture back up and running.

Of course, it might have been nice if Bruce had _told_ that the check was coming. Lex would have been able to prepare himself; to brace himself for what was sure to be the wrath of Chloe Sullivan.

What if she thought that sleeping with her that weekend was just a stalling tactic, a way to distract her until the money came through? He prayed to several long-forgotten deities that she wouldn't but people had certainly thought less of him in the past.

"For a man that's just been handed $200 million, you look pretty glum, Lex," said a voice behind him.

Bruce. Not the last person in the world that he wanted to see but certainly in the top five.

Lex turned. "I would have thought that Alfred taught you not to sneak up on people, Bruce. It's rather rude."

"So it is, he also taught me not to eavesdrop and that lesson didn't stick either. I think the old man is ready to wash his hands of me."

"You were eavesdropping?" Lex asked, immediately realizing the implications of Bruce hearing what he had just said. So much for secrets.

"Have you noticed whose name is on the building? You really don't have an expectation of privacy in here but…that's besides the point." Bruce crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. "You just couldn't stay away from her, could you? And from the sound of it you did more than just not stay away from her. Am I right?"

"Stay out of this, Bruce."

"Tell me, Lex, in this 'Becoming a Politician for Dummies' book you are _obviously_ reading, is the lesson on forgetting how to keep it in your pants in chapter two or chapter three?"

Lex was barely holding himself together. "Can you just let it go? It's over! We got the money! We're going to finish rebuilding the plant and get back on schedule. End of story. My relationship with Chloe Sullivan is no longer any of your business." He stepped closer to Bruce and looked him straight in the eye. "Can you understand that?"

"Can _you_ understand that getting the plant up and running again is still only part of the issue here? I've seen what this woman is capable of; having her around you is a risk we cannot afford to take."

"Why don't you let me decide that?"

"Because, as we've also seen, your judgment is a bit clouded at the moment. Has it even occurred to you that she's only gotten close to you to get access to what you might know? She's not doing this for her company or for the money. This is a game to her, Lex. She simply wants to win."

Chloe? Using him like that? It wasn't possible. Not Chloe.

He shook his head. "No, you don't know Chloe Sullivan. It's not possible. She wouldn't do that."

"Really?" Bruce asked, rolling his eyes. "And you certainly have an excellent track record for knowing when a woman is being honest with you, don't you? You said yourself many times that you hadn't seen her in ten years. How can you be so sure of anything?"

"I know her, Bruce. She wouldn't do that, not now."

Bruce straightened his tie and glowered at his friend. "This is all very heart-warming and romantic but I for one can't afford to wait for you to duck this time. Until this is done…"

Bruce's rant was cut off by a knock at the conference room door. Both men turned. It was Lucius.

"Sorry to interrupt, gentleman, but you have a visitor. It's Miss Sullivan." He said, looking from Bruce to Lex.

"That woman has the most maddening ability to appear when she is least wanted." Bruce griped, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration.

"Careful, Mr. Wayne. Keep saying things like that and you're going to give me a complex,' said a female voice.

Bruce's eyes sprang open and he saw Chloe appear in the doorway next to Lucius.

"Did I mention that she was behind me?" Lucius asked.

"No, you did not, " Bruce grumbled

Chloe waved.

Lex observed that one corner of Lucius' mouth was curled up in a faint smile.

"And I think I hear my phone ringing. Gentlemen. Miss Sullivan, it's always a pleasure." Lucius nodded at Chloe before disappearing down the hall again.

Chloe tilted her head in the Lucius' direction. "I like him; he's one of the few people around here who knows how to treat a guest."

Bruce ignored her remark. "Miss Sullivan, you have no reason to be here. As of 9:04 this morning, your interest in our companies officially ended."

"See, that's what I mean," she replied. "How about a 'Hi, how are you, Miss Sullivan?' "Have a seat' 'Nice jacket.' Would that kill you?" she said to Bruce. "Hi, Lex," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Chloe." Lex answered simply.

"Why are you here?" Bruce asked. "Surely you're not here to admit that you were wrong?"

Chloe snickered. "Yes, keep holding your breath for that one. Actually, I'm here to say goodbye to you, Mr. Wayne. I know you don't like me very much and the feeling is mutual but regardless of whether I like you, you are one of the most interesting people I've ever met. I think we'll run into each other again sometime soon. Like I said, this town really isn't that big. We should at least be civil to one another, don't you think?" She extended her hand to Bruce who made no attempt to take it until Lex cleared his throat and shot him a glare. Then Bruce reluctantly clasped her hand.

"I can be civil. And you're right about one thing, I don't like you very much at all. However your tenacity is admirable. If I could stand the very sight of you, Miss Sullivan, I'd ask you to train my sales force or even my security team. But, since I cannot, I think I'll allocate those resources into figuring out how to make this town…bigger. I think it will be money well spent. Goodbye." Bruce let go of her hand and with a curt nod at Lex, moved swiftly towards the door, but Chloe called after him, not bothering to even turn around.

"Speaking of money well spent, if you need advice on how to best allocate expenditures, Mr. Wayne, shouldn't you ask your friends at the U.S. Treasury?"

Lex's stomach lurched. Shit. That was fast, even for Chloe.

Bruce stopped in the doorway, his back still towards Chloe and Lex. He did not turn around. He was simply silent for a full minute.

"Excuse me, Miss Sullivan, but I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Riiiiight. Of course, you don't. See you around, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce squared his shoulders and left the room without another word.

As the sounds of retreating footsteps echoed in the room, Chloe rolled her eyes at Lex.

"It's absolutely mind-boggling that no lucky woman has snatched him up," she said dryly.

"Chloe, baiting Bruce Wayne is pointless now. Like it or not, your investigation is over."

"Who said I was baiting him?"

"The Treasury remark wasn't baiting?"

"You tell me, Lex. It's only baiting if he knew what I was referring to." She stepped closer to him. "Does he? Better yet, do _you_ know what I was referring to?"

Lex closed his eyes. "Chloe, don't do this. Let it go."

"Oh, I'm not letting it go."

"It's over. Please…"

"It's not over, not for me."

"This isn't a game, Chloe. You can't win this way."

"I know this isn't a game; do you think I'm an idiot? Allied put me on unpaid leave because I slept with you and you think I'm playing games?"

"I'm sorry…." Lex began.

"Don't apologize, just be straight with me. I haven't asked you this before and I think it's because of my feelings for you but I'm asking now: Do you know who blew up that plant?"

"Your company paid the claim, Chloe. Allied declared it was an accident."

"Fuck Allied! It was no accident and they didn't pay the claim. You know it, Bruce knows it and I know it. You've never patronized me before, don't start now!"

Lex clenched his fists. "I don't want to lie to you…"

"So don't. Tell me blew up the goddamn plant!!!!"

"I can't tell you!" Lex said, his jaw tightening after each word.

"Why not?"

"It isn't that easy, Chloe. It's not about the money; it's not about me and you or even Bruce, not directly. It's just…complicated."

Chloe rubbed at her temples "Let me get this straight. Someone blew up a building full of advanced robotic equipment, endangering any number of human lives…"

"No one was hurt…no one was in the building…"

"But they could have been! Anyone could have been in that building! And now, against all evidence to the contrary, my company declares that the whole thing was an accident, hands you and Bruce $200 million in cash, and all you can tell me is that 'it's complicated'?"

"I'm not going to lie to you; I just can't tell you anything else…" Lex shook his head. The way she was looking at him, it was almost too much to bear.

"You know who did it, don't you?"

Lex nodded.

"Was it you?"

"No, it wasn't me." That much was true. It wasn't him _personally_. And may he go straight to hell for splitting hairs this way, especially with her.

"But you know who did it. And you know why."

He nodded again.

"You've known all this time and you've watched me run around this town digging for scraps of information like a fool."

"Chloe, you have to understand…"

"I have to understand what, Lex? What? How am I supposed to understand anything? Look at it from my point of view. I see a reckless disregard for the law, the safety of dozens, if not hundreds of workers, people lying to me at every turn, and huge amounts of money flying in and out of overseas accounts. And you are at the center of it all, trying to tell me how much you _want _me in your life. How absurd is any of this?"

"I _do_ want you in my life. My feelings for you are completely separate from any of this. And this is not about the money. That's all I can tell you; it's like you said from the very beginning. There are some things that are more important than money."

Chloe sighed. "I've had enough of this." She tucked her purse under her arm and left the room. Lex followed her after a beat, down the hall and across the reception area. The receptionist looked up with interest as they reached the elevator bank.

"Wait, what do mean you've had enough? Where are you going?"

Chloe stabbed at the down button on the panel.

"I've had enough of your cryptic answers. I'm tired of talking in circles. I'm tired of all of it. I'm going home. Alone."

Lex looked over his shoulder warily at the handful of Wayne Enterprises employees who had gathered nearby. To Chloe he whispered, "Please, let's go back to my office. We can discuss this. Privately."

"There's nothing to discuss…"

The elevator arrived and she moved to step on but Lex grabbed her arm.

"So that's it? You're leaving? Just like that?"

"Let go of me." When he didn't, she added "If you don't want to make even more of scene here, you'll let go of my arm, Lex. Right now."

Her voice cut right into him like a knife. He let go of her arm and watched as she backed into the elevator. "Chloe, don't do this…"

Her face was almost entirely devoid of emotion as she pushed a button on the elevator panel. "It looks like I came to say goodbye to you too, Lex."

The elevator doors slid closed and before he could stop himself Lex slammed his hand against the cool metal in disgust. Then he leaned his weight against it.

She left him. Again. Only this time was a hundred times worse. This time, he knew…

He should go after her…but would it do any good?

Vaguely, he heard someone calling his name.

"Mr. Luthor?" It was the receptionist.

He straightened up and turned to face the woman.

OK, he could really do without the look of pity that the woman had on her face as she held her phone. Thankfully, the other onlookers had gone on about their business.

"Mr. Luthor?"

"Yes?"

"It's Mr. Wayne. He'd like you to come to his office as soon as possible."

Talk to Wayne? Now? Not bloody likely.

Lex stalked passed the receptionist without a word.

"Mr. Luthor!?" she called. "What should I tell him?"

"Tell him to go to Hell."

* * *

_Court Street Bar…the following evening…_

Chloe sipped her beer and tried to avoid making eye contact with the leering man at the end of the bar.

Ugh, greasy man in a bar. As if.

She had dressed conservatively with the problem of being hit on in mind. A long skirt and boots, and simple wrap sweater. The fact of the matter was though, no matter how she was dressed, she was still a young woman alone in a central Gotham Bar. She might as well have worn a sign that read 'use your lame lines on me, I have not heard them.'

She was immensely relieved when Harvey slid onto the stool next to her and signaled to the bartender that he would have what she was drinking.

"Hey, waiting long?" he asked.

Chloe shook her head and leaned up to kiss his cheek. Close to his ear, she whispered. "Casanova at 10 o'clock," she said to explain the sudden show of affection. Nodding, Harvey kissed her cheek in return and the man at the end of the bar began looking around for other options.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Harvey waited as the bartender set down his beer before speaking again. "So, two times in less than a week. I don't think we saw this much of each other while we were dating."

"I sure hope you aren't blaming me for that, and before you answer, let me point out that you're late. Twenty-one minutes late, actually."

"Of course I'm not blaming you. I know I can be an ass when it comes to stuff like that. And sorry, by the way, I got caught up in court." He replied, loosening his tie.

"I figured." Chloe propped her chin on her hand.

"So…what did you need to talk about?"

"I need some legal advice…of a sort."

"CJ, I'm a prosecutor, not a private attorney."

"That's exactly the kind of advice I need. That's why I came to you."

Harvey took a swig of his beer. "This is a bit unusual don't you think, you coming right to me? Doesn't Allied usually route all of its cases through the police?"

"This one's off the record. In fact, anything I ask you tonight, just assume it's…hypothetical."

"Hypothetical?"

"Yeah, are we clear or would you prefer not to talk about this?" Chloe wanted to offer him an out even though her gut told her he would not take it.

Harvey studied her for a minute. "Off the record is fine," he said finally. "Does this have anything to do with that case you were working on last week?"

"It might, and just like last week, I can't give you any names."

"Gotcha. So what do you need to know?"

"How does your boss feel about going after high profile cases?" Harvey's boss, the Gotham City District Attorney was reputed to be a hard nose prosecutor who never shirked form a fight but Chloe needed to hear that from him.

"My boss is an idealist like me. If the evidence is there, she'll prosecute, no matter who it is."

"Even big money players?

"Especially big money players. She thinks the legal system kowtows to big money too often as it is."

"What about big money players in bed with the government?"

Harvey looked at her sharply over the rim of his glass. "You have proof?"

Chloe frowned at him and he added hastily. "Hypothetically, would you have proof?"

"Maybe. It's not all lined up yet but I need to know if it's even worth pursuing. I'm not going to risk my neck if your boss isn't going to run with the ball when I hand it to her."

"Like I said, if the evidence is there, and it has to really be there, she'll run with it. Just what kind of charges are we talking about?"

Chloe shrugged. "Not sure yet. Definitely fraud. Perhaps some bribery. But it's big. I don't know all the players yet but the ones I do know of have really deep pockets."

"Deep pockets don't scare us," Harvey replied, proudly. Chloe had to smile. Harvey was a rare breed alright. He really believed he could make a difference. She hoped the DA's office knew how lucky they were to have him on their side.

"You didn't answer my question though, why come to me? If this is an insurance fraud thing, shouldn't you be handling this through Allied?"

Chloe leaned closer. "It's not that simple. For one thing, Allied might be involved in this one. On the wrong side."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I was. They shut down the case. Officially I can't do any more on it."

"And your boss?"

"Let's just say that they told him, hypothetically of course, that he might not have a job if he pushed much farther on this. He's got a wife and kid in college, plus a pension there. He had to draw the line somewhere. I, on the other hand, don't have as much to lose…"

"So how do you plan to follow this without them knowing?"

"I got placed on unpaid leave yesterday…"

Harvey's eyebrows shot up and Chloe shook her head. "Don't ask; it's a long story. The bottom line is that I've got some free time on my hands and couple of leads I can still pursue. If I find something and they try to retaliate, I'll take the worst of it, not Ted. If I don't, oh well, at least I'll know I tried, right?"

"I guess. But, if this goes high up, it could be very risky for you and, even _if_ you find something and _if_ it's enough for us to prosecute, there's still no guarantee of success."

Chloe's memory flashed to Lionel standing in the courtroom, smirking at her while the prosecuting attorney spoke in her ear.

_There's still a chance he can walk, you know. You have to realize that…and prepare yourself._

She blinked and brought herself back to the present.

"I've heard that before, Harvey. It's just the risk you take."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "Just be careful, OK?"

Chloe smiled, attempting to show some bravado she really did not feel. "Aren't I always?"

* * *

_Chloe's apartment…a couple of hours later…_

Chloe closed the door of her apartment and dropped her purse and keys on the low side table near the door. She then walked to kitchen and tapped on the 'speaker' button for her telephone and dialed the number for her voice mail. She reached for a glass from her cabinet; while the mechanical-sounding female voice of the message system filled the kitchen

"You have five messages….first message…left three oh four p.m…"

"Chloe, it's Lex… call me….I don't want to leave things this way…"

"Second message…left three forty-four p.m…."

"Chloe, sweetie, it's Dad. I haven't heard from you in a while…I'm not trying to nag or anything but just drop me an email or something to let me know you're OK….love you…."

"Third message…left four thirty-eight p.m…."

"CJ, it's Danny…I just heard about your leave…I'm really sorry…about everything… Give me a call, OK?"

"Fourth message…left five twenty-one p.m…"

"CJ, it's Ted…Look, I know you're upset about what the suits here said about me but don't sweat it…It would take a lot for them to fire me. Just watch yourself, though, you're young, you've got your career ahead of you…don't do anything stupid…"

"Fifth message…left seven oh three p.m…"

"Chloe, it's Lex again…I need to go back to Metropolis for a couple of days but I'd like to talk to you before then so we can try work this out. I meant what I said the other day… I've never wanted to lie to you…call me, please."

Chloe took a long swallow from the glass of water she had just poured.

"…end of messages…"

"Maybe it's time to look into getting some female friends," she muttered aloud.

Chloe hung up the phone and walked to the living room, picking up a stack of printouts along the way. She flopped onto the couch and kicked off her boots as she flipped through the pages. They contained the contents of the employee files she had taken from the Wayne Enterprises network. Specifically, the two employee files that had been incongruously saved in the hidden area.

Her gut was telling her that these two men, Paul Mills and Owen Kline, were somehow involved in this mess. But how? They weren't as highly paid as some of the engineers on staff and they had not worked for Wayne Enterprises before being transferred; they had been hired specifically to work on this project. Their employee files indicated that they were simply machine operators, hired to monitor some of the controls in various sections of the plant.

What these two men could possibly have to do with a mess that somehow connected Wayne Enterprises, Luthor Corp, Batman, the Pentagon, and now the U.S. Treasury, Chloe could not begin to fathom, but she had to find out.

If it meant tailing these two men until she got an answer, so be it.

"It's not as if I have anything else to go on."

End Chapter.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_Gotham City Hall…three days later…_

Bruce mind was very much _not_ on the meeting he was scheduled to attend in – he spared a look at his exquisite watch – eight minutes.

Thankfully, it wasn't a business meeting in which billions hinged on whether or not he caught every turn of phrase. It was a meeting of the Mayor's Commission for the Sciences, which, Wayne Enterprises, naturally, was a major sponsor. This meeting was basically just another meet-and-greet, and hopefully, it would be a brief one.

With Lex out of town on Luthor Corp business, he and Lucius were swamped trying to bring LW Tech back up and running, in addition to handling their normal duties for Wayne Enterprises.

They had managed to move many of the robotics equipment and personnel into temporary quarters in Building B of the complex. They certainly weren't at pre-explosion production levels but the staff was in place, and more importantly, the computers were up and running.

It wouldn't be much longer before…

"Wayne…Wayne!!!"

Bruce heard a familiar voice calling his name, and stopped short.

He turned slightly to see Harvey Dent striding towards him, briefcase in hand.

Automatically, Bruce switched on his best 'What, me worry' Bruce Wayne smile and extended his hand to his friend.

"Harvey, nice to see you? What brings you here?"

"I should be asking you that," Harvey replied, smoothing down his tie. "These are my stomping grounds. The courthouse is next door. I'm in and out of this building all day. How about you? What are you doing down from your tower?"

Coming from anyone else, that particular question might seem mean-spirited but Harvey was as good natured as you could get and Bruce appreciated that about him. Despite a demanding job and a non-existent social life, Harvey was rarely in a bad mood. Bruce idly wondered how Harvey handled the stress so well. But he let the thought pass.

"Meeting upstairs. Mayor's Commission on the Sciences, I think. At least that what my assistant told me it was. You know how I am with these things."

Harvey rolled his eyes. "I know, Bruce. Believe me, I know."

"I'm glad I ran into you though. I've been meaning to call you about something." Bruce kept his voice light and conversational as he casually changed the subject. "That young woman you brought to the charity event at the mansion...the little blonde with the great---"

Harvey raised his hand to cut Bruce off before he could go much further. "Chloe Sullivan?"

"Yes, that's her name, Sullivan." Bruce snapped his fingers as if just recalling the name. "Are you and she…" He gestured with his two fingers so Harvey would get the picture.

"No, not anymore. We tried, it didn't work." Harvey shook his head.

"What was the hang-up? The M-word?" joked Bruce.

"God no, quite the opposite. It was more of a timing thing in that neither of us had enough of it, at least not to devote to a relationship. We're friends now. That seems to be more our speed."

"Friends. Hmmpph." Bruce shrugged as if silently dismissing the very concept for himself. "So what can you tell me about her?"

Harvey eyed him suspiciously. "You want to ask Chloe Sullivan out?"

"Maybe. That surprises you? She's a very attractive woman."

"Hell, I know that! She's just…how can I say this? A lot less flashy than the women you typically go for. Am I right?"

"Maybe I'm just trying to broaden my horizons a bit. There are only so many in depth conversations about hair care products that a man can take. So, tell me about Chloe."

"First of all, she goes by CJ. Second of all, these days, she's a ghost. She's working on some big case at work and she's really focused on it. If you're going to give her a call or something, I'd wait a few weeks until things calm down. Believe me, you don't want to come between CJ and her work."

The wheels began turning in Bruce's head and he recalled his last encounter with Chloe Sullivan. He had a nagging suspicion that Harvey's words were going to be prophetic in this situation.

"Maybe she's done now. When was the last time you talked to her?" Bruce asked.

"Just a couple of days ago, and I know for a fact that she hasn't wrapped it up yet. She would have told me. She's in as deep as ever. See what I mean about time? I mean, you know how I am about work. You can imagine…"

Bruce's suspicion grew stronger as Harvey babbled on. He was going to have to check up on his least favorite insurance investigator. He may have been fooling himself to believe she would have stepped away so easily given what he knew of her personality and her history.

Harvey's cell phone rang. "Hang on, I have to get this." Harvey pulled out his phone. "Harvey Dent….I see, alright. Good…I'm just next door; I'll be there in five." He snapped the phone shut and turned his attention back to Bruce.

"Sorry, my jury's back. I have to head back to court."

"Duty calls, I understand. But before you go….can I trouble you for the lovely Miss Sullivan's number?" Bruce didn't need it of course but he had to keep up the ruse with Harvey that his interest in Chloe Sullivan was motivated by playboy lust and little else.

Harvey hesitated though. "Bruce, I don't know. CJ's a real private person, I'm not sure she's be cool about me giving a man she barely knows her number. Tell you what, next time I talk to her, I'll mention that you're interested in having a drink or something and if she's cool, I'll email you her number. Sound good?"

"I guess that's the best I can hope for. Thanks, Harv." Bruce started to back away. "Do me a favor, put in a good word for me." Part of him wished he could see the look on Chloe's expressive face when Harvey tried to talk him up. That was sure to be priceless, especially given the fact that he had told the woman he could not stand the sight of her.

"I'll just tell her the truth about the kind of guy you are," joked Harvey, now a few feet away.

Bruce grinned his million-dollar smile, catching the attention of more than one nearby female. He put up is hands in mock panic. "No way, man. Tell her _anything_ but that!"

* * *

_Lex's Gotham Apartment…same day..._

Lex slammed the door to his apartment behind him. He didn't bother to turn on the lights, instead, he just made his way over to the sofa in the dim twilight fading in through the windows. His flight from Metropolis had been delayed due to bad weather…somewhere. His attempts to work during the flight had been a colossal waste because he could not concentrate on anything other than the fact that Chloe had not called. Using the table-side phone, he quickly dialed in to his vice mail to confirm what he already knew.

_You have zero new messages…_

In the three days he had been back in Metropolis, he had continued to call her cell and her hone number several times a day. Hoping she would answer, hoping they could talk.

She never picked up and she never returned his calls.

Was she really breaking it off with him? After only, what, two days together? Had they even really been together other than in a sexual way? He had thought so, perhaps he was wrong. Was she really so angry with him for not telling her the truth that she would turn her back on him, again?

And if she was on leave from Allied, why wasn't she picking up her phone? If she wasn't working, where was she and what the hell was she doing?

* * *

_Robinson City Park…that night…_

"So much for not coming to the park at night" Chloe muttered to herself. It was still only twilight but still uneasy. She decided that if she needed to tail Paul Mills and Owen Kline into the park at this time of day again, she'd bring protection.

Tonight, she was equipped for surveillance only because she had presumed that tonight would be another bust, like the two previous evenings had been.

After attempting a deep background check on the two men, Chloe had found something pretty unusual. Both men's histories were surprisingly…shallow. They both had credit histories that dated back only a few years and were suspiciously spotless. Their employment histories were impossible to verify, both men had the misfortune to have worked for companies that went under shortly after they left. Neither had been married before nor did either appear to have any legitimate children. They also didn't appear to have crossed paths before working together at LW Tech either, at least not in any way that would have left a trail. To Chloe, the fact that there was so little to go on about two men in their thirties raised her suspicions. Backgrounds this shallow and this clean were typically that way for one reason: they were fake.

So that led to another question, how did two men with questionable histories get hired by LW Tech? And in positions in which they had access to such sensitive information. And someone at Wayne Enterprises clearly knew about them because their files were moved to the hidden area on the server.

It became clear to Chloe that she wasn't going to answer those questions sifting through her computer databases. She was going to have to tail both men.

And that is what she had done, for the past three evenings. The first two nights, the two men had left the plant and gone about their separate ways without so much as a word to the other. She could not even be sure that they knew each other. She followed Mills first night, he was the younger of the two with the slight build and long, stringy blond hair. He lived in a two room walkup not far from the plant so he walked to work. He had grabbed a pizza on the way home, plopped down on his sofa and stayed there for the rest of the night, remote in hand. He made no phones calls, as far as she could see, perched on the fire escape of a neighboring building, binoculars in hand.

The second night, she tailed Owen Kline. He was slightly older, taller and of a bulkier build. His hair was cut short to his head and spotted with gray. He lived a bit father away from the plant. He drove a tan car to his apartment, and disappeared inside. It took Chloe a bit longer to find a good observation post. Unfortunately, when she found one, said post was at the second floor window of a very seedy motel across from Owen Kline's building. It was the kind of place that offered a two-hour "nap special" room rate. It also had really thin walls.

Owen Kline did not do anything that was as exciting as what was apparently going on in the rooms around Chloe (especially room 204). He ate a sandwich, read the paper, played a game of solitaire (with actual cards) and fell asleep on his sofa.

Chloe was starting to think she was tailing the dullest men on the planet. On the third day, the two men finally made contact with each other in her site. She watched outside the plant property as the two men signaled each other briefly each other outside the doors of Building B. They did not speak, and their contact would have been unnoticed by anyone not watching very closely.

Paul Mills disappeared down a nearby subway station. Owen Kline smoked a cigarette before getting in his car and driving away, heading north towards Robinson Park.

Careful to stay far enough back to escape detection, Chloe tailed him. She was happy when she saw Kline pull into a spot just outside the park. Her current attire of leggings, running shoes and a hooded sweatshirt would make look like just another jogger in the park. Keeping a careful eye on which direction her target had headed into the park, She paused briefly to fish in her truck for her "tricked out" MP3 player, clipped it one and slipped the earpieces into her ears.

On the surface it looked like one of the popular players on the market but it was actually purchased from Chloe's favorite spy equipment store. It was a working music player on one end but with a flick of a hidden switch it became a long range listening device and recorder with a very powerful range.

She had any number of listening devices that Allied had issued to her but this particular device was her own. This was her case now; she'd finish it using her own wits and her own "toys."

A few minutes of jogging and her targets were in range. Mills was in the park now. Both men were on a park bench and Kline was smoking a cigarette. From tailing them the last two nights, Chloe knew their voices. She feigned a series of stretching exercises so she could stay in range while she listened.

Kline: Now we can talk. Did you get everything on your list?

Mills: Most of it. Not everything is back online yet. It should be by next shift. It'll take me couple of hours to copy over what I need.

Kline: So how much longer?

Mills: One more day, tops. Should have everything done by end of shift tomorrow.

Chloe leaned against a tree and stretched her leg out behind her.

Kline: (A pause.) Just be careful of the cameras, OK? There seem to be more of them in this building than there were in C. Watch your back, alright?

Mills: Right. So what now?

Kline: We meet again tomorrow and collect what we've got. Then if we have everything, we set up a meeting with our guy.

Mills: So quick? Why not wait a day or so?

Kline: He's anxious. He says we're already behind because of this stupid explosion. I think he was ready to pull out altogether if this investigation thing dragged out much longer. (A pause) It's a good thing it got wrapped up or all these months would have been a waste.

Mills: Now that would have sucked. We wouldn't have gotten paid.

Kline: Yeah. No shit. No delivery, no money. That's the way it works.

Mills: I'll be glad to get out of this town. It's always so fuckin' gray. How do people live here?

Kline: Never mind that. (A pause) Tomorrow night, underneath the Kirby Bridge. Eleven. Bring everything you've collected.

Mills: Tomorrow night. Eleven.

Kline: Remember, stay calm. And, try not to talk to me when we're on the job. We don't want to attract too much attention. Now get outta here. Don't leave the same way you came in.

Chloe watched as Mills walked away. She watched as Kline finished his cigarette before heading out himself. He didn't look in her direction so she was reasonably sure that he had not been suspicious of her lingering nearby.

She switched off the MP3 player and leaned against the tree for support as she tried to sort out what she had heard. Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling noise coming from the leaves above her.

She looked up and saw only darkness. Dark leaves and branches against a dark, moonless night sky.

She shivered. Time to get out of the park.

* * *

_Chloe's apartment…later that night…_

Chloe's door creaked as she entered her darkened apartment later that night. Still dressed in her running clothes from earlier, she felt little desire to change. All she wanted to do was flop into her bed and get some sleep. She figured she'd listen to the recording and try to sort out what it all meant after she got some rest. Stakeouts always wiped her out but that was no surprise. All of her life a lack of activity had always been more tiring to her than a lot of it.

Not bothering to switch on the lights as she made her way through the living room towards the stairs, she dropped her keys and MP3 player onto one of the couch's throw pillows, slipped off her sneakers and padded upstairs to her bedroom.

Three-quarters of the way up the stairs the instincts honed by years of creeping in and out of deserted buildings kicked in.

The tiny hairs on her arms and the back of her neck tingled. Something wasn't right.

Something or someone was in her apartment. She could _feel_ it.

She leapt the rest of the way up her stairs and dove onto the bed. With trembling hands she fumbled in her nightstand drawer and pulled out her gun. It was loaded, thank God; there was no way in hell she would have been able to load it now.

Gripping it with both hands, she crept out of the bed. She now felt more confident, more in control of the situation. She could at least defend herself with something deadlier than a pair of Nike running shoes.

Whoever or whatever was downstairs was still there, she knew. Chloe decided needed to goad it into moving so she could get figure out where it was. That was her only hope considering it was between her and the only safe exit. Flight was out, time to fight.

"I know you're in here and you should know that I'm armed," she warned aloud.

There was no sound.

Nothing.

She lowered herself down the first couple of steps on the staircase, keeping her gun trained ahead of her.

A few more steps down.

"I don't care how or why you're in here…just leave now and no one will get hurt…" she said, louder this time and with more conviction.

Silence.

Was anyone even there?

A few more steps down. She was now only one or two steps from the bottom. A few steps and a brisk sprint and she could be out of her apartment. Maybe flight was still an option after all.

One of the shadows moved again and Chloe spun towards it, gun aimed. Something shiny caught the faint light streaming in her windows and a mere fraction of a second later, something crashed against her gun with a metallic sound, knocking the weapon from her hands.

Before she could even react, she felt herself being lifted and pressed against the wall. It was too dark to see who or what was lifting her but whatever it was, it was strong. She struggled in vain against the large dark figure but her arms were pinned at her sides and her legs swung out, only to be trapped by some kind of clinging fabric.

She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. Images of her father's and Lex's faces flashed in her mind.

Chloe opened her mouth to scream but a large gloved hand covered her mouth. She could taste the leather as her screams were muffled and trapped in her throat.

"Don't scream!" a deep voice told her. "Don't talk, don't move, just listen!"

Chloe stopped kicking.

"Open your eyes!"

Chloe complied. Now it was clear who her intruder was. The dark shadow she had seen had a solid form. And big pointy ears. And a name. Batman.

Instinctively she started pushing against him again but he had a vice grip on her arms.

"Stop moving!" he ordered. "I have no desire to hurt you but you need to stay here and listen to every word I'm about to say."

Chloe stopped moving.

"Do I have your attention now?" Batman asked his voice hard and laced with sarcasm.

She nodded, her mouth still trapped by the leather of his glove.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Then listen to me. I know where you were tonight and what you were doing. You are not to go near those men again, do you understand? You are interfering with matters you cannot possibly understand."

Chloe made a noise in attempt to respond and Batman moved his hand to let her speak.

"What business is it of yours?" she whispered.

"Don't concern yourself with that. Concern yourself with the fact that very bad things can happen to people who interfere in things that don't involve them. Is that clear?"

"Why are you threatening me? I thought you were supposed to be…some kind of hero vigilante…"

"I'm not threatening you…I'm warning you. There's a difference."

"It feels like a threat," she countered.

"Be grateful that you can still feel anything. That's not something I can promise you will continue to do if you go anywhere near those two men again. From now on, Sullivan, you see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing about the things you heard tonight. If you value your safety, you will do your best to be anywhere other than where those men are. I will not warn you again."

He slowly loosened his grip on her and she slid down to the floor, breathing heavily. She watched as Batman backed away towards the balcony door, his cape sweeping around him.

He slid back the glass door but turned once more towards where she was, curled up on the floor near the couch.

"One last thing…" he said.

He flicked his wrist at her and something flashed in the dark once again. There was a crunch as the object hit its intended target and a brief spark from the couch which caught Chloe's attention for a second. When she looked back towards the balcony door, he was gone.

When she was positive he was gone, Chloe crawled over to the couch and switched on the lamp on the end table. There on the couch lay her now destroyed MP3 player/listening device, pierced through its center by the sharpened point of something that resembled a stylized metal ninja star, except it was shaped like a bat.

She looked around the room and saw her gun and another ninja-bat-thingie lying on the floor. That explained how he had gotten her gun away from her.

Chloe sank back onto her heels. "Son of a bitch," she muttered.

End chapter.


	17. Chapter 15

_AN: Sorry for the deya in updating. I'm coping with a really bad sinus infection and I spent Sunday night in the ER with a nosebleed that would not stop! I know, too much information, sorry! _

_Here's the update:)_

**Chapter 15 **

_Lex's Metropolis apartment…days earlier…_

_When they got back to his apartment after their walk in the park, Lex had some calls to make in his office so he asked Chloe to relax in the living room and pour herself a drink. He made his calls quickly. Two were Luthor Corp related, and two were to try and uncover what Bruce had been talking about. He struck out with the latter and despite his curiosity about the situation, he didn't want to spend any more time in the project, not when Chloe was in his apartment, only a few feet away._

_When he retuned to the living room, he found her curled up on the couch again, reading a book from his shelves. Her shoes were off and there was a half full glass of wine on the table in front of her. She looked quite at home, surrounded by the plush pillows._

"_That's the second time I've found you curled up on my couch; are you becoming attached to it?"_

"_Maybe I am," she replied, not looking up from her book. "Would that bother you?"_

"_Of course not, but I would rather that you were getting attached to me and not my furniture,"_

_Lex quipped as he seated himself next to her and placed her feet in his lap. He began rubbing her feet with strong, practiced strokes. _

_Chloe moaned, and let the book fall back to her lap. "That's not fair…how am I supposed to think straight with you doing that?"_

"_You're not." His hands were moving up her calves now, kneading her leg muscles. "Are you hungry? We can order something in."_

_Chloe shook her head. "No, I'm good. I should probably leave soon anyway."_

_Leave? Lex didn't think so._

"_You don't have to, you know." His hands were on her knees now and the book had slid to the floor._

"_I should leave anyway. We shouldn't be doing this now, Lex. We both know that. I need to clear my head and so do you. Last night was great but you and I can't just jump into – whatever this is – right now."_

_Her hands were now on his, in a not so subtle attempt to begin pushing him away._

_Once again, Lex did not agree._

_He didn't know what was happening between them or where it would lead, but he certainly didn't want to simply drop things. _

_His own lack of control about the situation was disturbing to him, if this were any other woman, in any other situation; they wouldn't be here right now. In fact he would have left right after they'd had sex last night and not given it a second thought. Because it was just that, sex._

_However, this thing with Chloe, whatever it was, it wasn't just sex. He knew it, she had to know it._

"_You do know that this isn't just about the sex right?" she asked, squeezing his hands. _

_OK, that was eerie. Lex thought. If she had developed psychic abilities at some point during the past ten years, that was a very bad thing._

"_I didn't think you would risk your career if it was only about the sex. You're more responsible than that," he replied._

_Chloe rolled her eyes and pulled her legs back. "Yeah," she drawled. "I'm soooo responsible. I'm handed the biggest case of my career and what's the first thing I do? Hop into bed with the client I'm supposed to be investigating. I'll snag Employee of the Year for sure now."_

_Lex shrugged and leaned back on the couch. "I wouldn't say it was the first thing you did. Hell, actually getting into the bed wasn't even the first thing we did last night."_

_THWAAAAP_

_She smacked him with one of the plush throw pillows._

_Ah well, he deserved that._

_He grabbed the pillow from her hands and in one movement, grabbed her around the waist and hauled her onto his lap. She laughed but didn't fight him otherwise._

_When he had her body arranged on top of his so their faces were inches apart. "Stay," he said, squeezing her hips. "Stay the night with me."_

_She frowned and he regretted the urgent tone he had used. It had sounded like a demand._

"_Was that a request or an order?"_

"_I apologize, it was a request. Chloe, don't overthink this. All I'm asking you to do is take a night off, with me. It won't be about work, this stupid investigation or anything else. It'll just be us. You have to agree that there is an 'us' now, right?"_

_Chloe ignored his question. "Did you not just hear what I said? I should not be spending the night with you at all. I shouldn't be here."_

"_And I shouldn't have been in your bed last night but I was. We can't undo last night, even if we wanted to and I for one, don't want to. Now given that we can't undo last night, is there really any harm in taking tonight to enjoy ourselves, to enjoy each other?"_

_She racked her teeth over her bottom lip and shifted restlessly on his lap. He ran his hands up her arms as _

_she did so. He was getting to her, he could tell. _

"_And tomorrow? What will you say then?" she asked._

_Lex ran his lips across her neck, causing her to sigh a bit. "Whatever you want me to say. If you want me to say 'goodbye' I'll say that. If you want me to say nothing at all, I can do that too."_

_Lex knew he was taking a gamble here. She might take his offer, she might decide to spend one more night with him and still walk away. But he didn't think she would. The attraction between them was too strong and last night hadn't even taken the edge off of it. Still, if he was wrong and she did walk away, at least they'd have one more night. In his bed this time. _

_As she continued to mull things over, he leaned in again, and kissed a line up her neck to her ear. So he was playing dirty, so what? As if she expected anything else of him?_

"_Lex….ah…you know…ummm, that's nice…you and I…as long as understand that you and me…we're separate from the rest of this mess. Right?"_

_Lex pulled back to look her in the eye. "Of course, this is about us. It always has been."_

_She ran her thumb across the smooth skin of his face. "OK, then. I'll stay. One more night."_

_He kissed her, long and deep, tasting the wine and ice cream she had eaten and holding her so tightly that she was gasping for breath when they parted._

"_Alright then, we have all night…What would you like to do with it?" he asked, running his hands shamelessly over the front of her shirt, carefully tracing each soft curve. _

_Chloe shifted on his lap. She tried to be casual about it but he could tell that she knew very well what she was doing to parts of his body. _

"_I was thinking…" her voice trailed off as she reached up to begin unbuttoning her shirt…slowly. _

_One button at a time…_

"_You were thinking what?"_

"_I'm thinking that I love this sofa…I love the way the fabric feels, I love the way the cushions feel…so soft and comfortable…"_

_Two more buttons, her cream colored push up bra was now visible._

_Lex smirked but kept his eyes on her. "Would you like me to buy you one?"_

_Two more buttons, the shirt was fully open now._

"_No, I don't think so…I think I'd prefer if you just made love to me right here…I want you on top of me and…" She swept her hand over the soft material. "…and this underneath me. Can you handle that?"_

_Lex pushed her shirt off her shoulders and grinned at her. "Oh, I can handle that."_

_This time, she kissed him. She closed the gap between them almost before the words had left his lips and nudged his mouth open with hers. She was an aggressive kisser, stroking her lips ad tongue against his with abandon. He loved that about her. Even though he could tell that she was unnerved by the possible consequences of what they were doing, her passionate side won through in the end. She wanted this just as a much as he did. _

_That was a very good sign._

_As she kissed him, her own hands were at work on the buttons of his shirt. He leaned back and placed his hands at his sides to give her more room to undress him. At first he was disappointed that she didn't kiss her way down his chest as she had down the night before. But he felt better almost immediately when he realized that she has compensating for that by giving him an impromptu chest and shoulder massage as she removed his shirt. _

_He hands, small and soft but strong, were everywhere, massaging his shoulders, his pectoral muscles, his neck –God—his head, everywhere. She ran her nails across his abdominal muscles again and laughed as he sucked in a breath. She had obviously been paying attention to his reactions to that the previous night._

"_These past few days," she said, reaching around him to rub the muscles of his upper back, "I've watched you standing in my office, or in Bruce's office, looking so tense, and I haven't been able to concentrate. All I could think about was tearing off your jacket and tie and doing this for you. It's insane, I've wanted to hit you, yell at you, kill you and give you a backrub all at the same time."_

_Something tensed in Lex's chest when she said that. The hitting and killing parts he understood but had she really been thinking about tearing his shirt off just to give him a massage simply because he looked tense? Had she been watching him that closely?_

_In the meantime all Lex could manage in reply was a moan as her hands worked at his back. She was exciting him and relaxing him all at once. He couldn't recall when, if ever, he had experienced those two sensations at once. _

_He wanted to return the favor. He caught her wrists in his hands to still them and silently urged her to place her arms at her sides. Then starting at the small of her spine began rubbing his large hands over the smooth skin of her back, back and forth, up and down. She titled her head back in pleasure and unconsciously rocked her hips against his. _

_Soon, he had worked his way up to her shoulders, then to her neck. He reached up, undid the band around her hair and massaged the back of her scalp with his fingertips and she hummed, deep in her throat. The sound was very cat-like and erotic and his body reacted immediately, pushing up against her. The friction they created was perfect except that there were too many layers between them, far too many._

_Lex ran his hands down her back to the clasp of her bra. As sexy as she looked in it, he knew that she looked much better without it. Eyes still closed and her head still titled back, Chloe shrugged her shoulders to shake the straps off, the garment fell away. _

_He immediately lowered his mouth to the sensitive area just below her collarbone and above her breasts. Both teasing and tasting. She bucked against him._

"_Ummmm….good, Lex…but lower…"_

_He briefly considered telling her to say please but her thought better of it. He was too aroused right now to risk her anger if she took it the wrong way. He was in no mood to stop. _

_He kissed on her left breast, just above her nipple, then swirled his tongue around it, feeling it harden in his mouth. Lex brought his had up to massage her other breast as he alternately licked and sucked at the first. He switched breasts and repeated both actions. By this point, Chloe was gripping his shoulders so hard that her nails were digging in. He continued at this task for some time, lost in the noises she was making. _

_After a bit he raised his head from her breasts back up so they were face to face. The look of disappointment on her face was almost laughable. _

"_Lex?" she breathed._

"_I got distracted for a minute there; I'm supposed to be fulfilling a request, aren't I?"_

"_Wha---?"_

_He gripped her around her waist and lifted her off of his lap. Then he turned their bodies so that she was lying on her back lengthwise on the couch and his body was cradled between her thighs._

_She giggled in realization. "Ri—ght, the whole you on top part. How could I forget?"_

_Kissing his way down between her breasts once again, Lex's hands worked at her belt and the fastening on her jeans. In the meantime, Chloe was stroked the back of his scalp with her fingers. Distracting the hell out of him._

_He slid her jeans down over her hips and legs making sure to take the cream colored panties with them. Her underwear was probably very pretty and with the bra, likely a matched set but right now, Lex did not give a shit. They were in his way. _

_Chloe helped him out by kicked her jeans off the rest of the way but before she could wrap her legs around his waist, Lex braced himself on her thighs._

"_Easy, lie still…and relax…" he placed a brief kiss on her hipbone._

_Chloe seemed to realize his intent and let out an eager and rumbling purr. Lex decided that she really needed to stop making that sound or he was going to ruin his pants. _

_He kissed his way over to her center, stopping only briefly when his first intimate contact with his target caused her to jerk her hips upward sharply. _

_He was determined to please her, though and pressed her hips down into the cushions. She soon got used to the rhythms of his tongue and lips and began to follow them, moving in tandem with him to speed up her own pleasure._

_When Chloe's mewls became more insistent and erratic, Lex spared a moment to look up at her. _

_Her eyes were squeezed shut and her head thrown back deep into the silky soft cushions. Her arms were over her head and her hands gripping the arm of the sofa as if her life depended on it. _

_She was mumbling a series of mostly incoherent words though every now and then he recognized his name. _

_Lex felt her body tensing and her muscles contracting and he had to grip her thighs tightly to keep her from squeezing his head too hard. She spasmed under his lips and he kept his tongue working at her until her crest was over. As she came down, he crawled up her body, working at the fastening on his own pants with slightly shaky hands. His own need to be deep inside where his lips had just been was now too urgent to be ignored. _

_Lex rose up and leaned back on his heels for moment to fish a condom out of his wallet. Upon finding it, he blindly threw both the wallet and the wrapper away nearby._

_He leaned back down and supported his own body weight on one arm while freeing himself from his pants with the other. He was relieved that Chloe was too dazed to help him because one touch from her soft hands might have spoiled it for both of them. Mostly him._

_Chloe opened her eyes when he began to sink into her and she responded by grabbing the back of his head and pulling him down for another bruising kiss. Apparently the taste of his mouth didn't bother her in the least. _

_As they kissed he let himself sink inside her and heard himself groan out load – something he rarely did this soon in the act – when he felt that her inner muscles were still pulsing from her first orgasm. It made her body feel like it was made to fit only him. It was good, so damn good. And it would be over too soon if he didn't concentrate. _

_God, was she going to be the first woman to make him lose it so easily?_

_Chloe ripped her mouth from his as he hit a spot deep inside her. As they kissed, Lex had grabbed her thigh with his free hand and pulled it high up near his waist to achieve the right angle. Evidently she liked it._

"_Je-sus…again!!!"_

_He repeated the move keeping his eyes on her as he did. _

"_Again…Lex…!!!"_

_He drove into her again and again, harder each time, watching her shake and shift under his weight. The fear of hurting her was distant memory. She was right, she wouldn't break. She was strong, hot, tight, wet, and a host of other adjectives that his brain really couldn't think of right now. _

_Looking down at her as he began moving faster, bringing both them closer to the edge, three thoughts meandered through his brain. _

_The first was of nominal importance, brought on by the sight of Chloe digging her nails into the arm rest of the couch again. If she kept that up, he'd be buying a new sofa tomorrow after all. _

_The other two thoughts were related: the first being that he could get used to the way Chloe looked right now. The look on her face was of unrestrained pleasure, of expectation, and of complete acceptance._

_The last thought, in fact the last coherent thought he had before he let go and plunged headlong into ecstasy, was a very primitive and possessive notion. It was the very distinct thought that he didn't want anyone else to see Chloe like that. Ever._

* * *

_Luthor Corp's Metropolis offices….Lex Luthor's office… _

Lex blinked and shook his head slightly to rid himself of the memory he had been indulging in. It was completely unlike him to drift off like that during the work day. He was more than a little annoyed at himself as a result.

After days of unreturned phone calls he had to accept the fact that whatever it was he had started with Chloe was over. It was clear, starting him right in the face. Over. Done. Finished.

But try telling that to his subconscious, which was perfectly content to relive their nights together.

To ground himself again, he moved some of the files on his desk around with far more force than was necessary. They hit the glass-topped mahogany with loud slapping noises.

To hell with Chloe Sullivan anyway. It would have never lasted. Once the novelty wore off they would have found eight million things to disagree on and clawed one another to death, either verbally or literally.

Lex tugged at his collar remembering a spot on his upper back where Chloe had broken skin and he willed himself not to pursue the memory…

…too late.

He looked at his watch. Six minutes after eleven. Too early to let a bit of alcohol calm his nerves.

He tugged at his collar again. There had been a spot on his neck, too, where she had bitten down a little too hard….

He rose abruptly from his massive desk, ignoring the papers which slid off of it in the movement, and stalked over to the wall unit which housed a small bar. He grabbed the first bottle that his hand encountered, uncapped it and sloshed the liquid into a crystal glass.

Fuck it, it was afternoon somewhere.

"I suppose it's afternoon somewhere, Lex," said a male voice behind him.

Now _that_ was unnerving.

He turned and saw Bruce standing in his doorway.

Not missing a beat, Lex brought the glass to his lips and took a fortifying gulp.

After he swallowed, he said, "For those of us that bother to show up for work in the morning, it's close enough. Unlike you, I've been working since seven this morning."

Bruce strolled into the room, closing the door behind him. He slid his large frame into one of the guest chairs looking fit, rested, and completely unapologetic.

"It's called delegating, Lex. Look it up." he replied, with an offhand wave. "I don't suppose you have any coffee around this place? I think I'll skip the scotch until lunchtime at least."

"There's a Starbucks across the street. Get yourself a frequent buyer's card." Lex seated himself back behind his desk. "And by the way, my name _is_ on this building and I _do_ have an expectation of privacy here. Calling ahead, or knocking even? Look that up."

"You're a riot." Bruce seemed to be waiting for Lex to request a coffee for him from the young woman seated outside his office. Let him wait. Lex returned his attention to the files on his desk, setting the now half-empty highball glass down with easy reach.

"Black, one sugar?" Bruce ventured.

"Are you here for a reason?"

"Actually, I came to see if I could get a response from you that didn't include the words 'Go to Hell' in some form or another."

"Maybe after a few more drinks. In the meantime, go to Hell."

"We have actual business we need to discuss, you do know that. Stop acting like a petulant child."

"I'm not acting like a petulant child, I'm acting like a man who has half a dozen projects to run and no time for chit-chat. I've already spoken to Lucius today about pending LW Tech business matters so if you have questions, call him."

"If you have time to drink a scotch at eleven in the morning, _partner_, you have time for a chat with me."

Lex threw down his pencil. "Fine. Five minutes. And then you'll go to hell?"

"Most of LW's computers will be back online today. You know what that means."

"FreeCell tournament in the breakroom?" Lex smirked and leaned back in his chair.

"No, you're not acting like a petulant child at all," drawled Bruce. "Can we have a serious discussion here please?"

"No we can not have a serious discussion because we have _had_ this same serious discussion numerous times. I know what _I'm_ supposed to do, I know what _you're_ supposed to do, and I know what everyone else is supposed to do. All we can really do right now, though, is wait. I don't see a need to go over this again. Now go get your grande whatever and call me when there's something new to report. In the meantime, to put it another way, tell my father I said 'Hi'…"

Bruce ignored Lex's speech; instead, he narrowed his blue eyes at him and asked, "Heard from Chloe Sullivan lately?"

"That's what you're really here to ask, me isn't it? You wanted to make sure that I haven't been letting her take a peek at your plans."

"My plans? I had thought they were _our_ plans, Lex. Fifty-fifty, remember? And you didn't answer the question."

Lex rolled his eyes. "The last time I saw Chloe was the day she came to your offices. We have not spoken, or done anything else, since. Happy?"

"Ecstatic, but you don't seem to be. Please don't upset my view of the universe by telling me that Lex Luthor is moping around here over a woman."

Lex glared at him briefly before picking up his pencil once again. "Call me when you know something. I'm going to get some work done. I advise you to do the same."

"Son of a bitch, you really are moping, aren't you? I'll be damned…never thought I'd see the day…" murmured Bruce.

"And you won't live to see another day if you don't get the hell out of my office…"

"Lighten up, man. It's not the end of the world. If she means that much to you, when this is over, send her some flowers and something shiny and she'll forget the whole thing. Diamond earrings were always a favorite of yours, right?"

Lex's pencil snapped in two. "Leave…Now, Bruce."

Bruce shrugged. "Fine, fine, get her an ankle bracelet, or an uncharted Pacific isle, whatever you want. Just quit moping. You're bringing everyone down. We have to finish this and we don't need you looking like death warmed over in the middle of it."

Bruce stood and walked over to the door. He swung it open and took one last look back at Lex. "C'mon, you're going to be a hero in a few days. That'll make it all worth it, right?"

Bruce disappeared through the door and thus probably did not hear when Lex whispered,

"No, it won't."

Bruce paused outside the door of Lex's office. He had indeed heard what Lex said. He almost felt sorry for his old friend. Chloe breaking off whatever it was they had going was obviously hurting him. He had known from the time he saw the old newspaper clipping that Lex was infatuated with Chloe but now Bruce wondered if he had underestimated his friend. What if it really was something more that Lex felt for the woman?

Bruce smoothed down his tie. While he wasn't personally acquainted with that particular emotion in a romantic sense, he supposed it wasn't out of the question for Lex. Despite being raised a Luthor, Lex was human after all. Maybe a little too human.

Chloe Sullivan was certainly not what Bruce expected for Lex. She was bright if not outright brilliant, resourceful and independent. She apparently didn't care too much about money, despite having a little bit of her own. Of course, hers was self earned, not inherited like most of the socialites he and Lex normally "dated." She wasn't bad to look at either.

Chloe Sullivan wasn't a terrible choice, Bruce decided, if you were the type of man who liked mouthy women. (He wasn't.) But she was too damn nosy and reckless to be around either of them right now. She had nearly blown all of their plans straight to hell, no pun intended.

As he exited Luthor Corp's Metropolis headquarters, Bruce felt confident. He was confident that Batman's visit to Chloe Sullivan had finally put her in her place. He was confident that Batman would be able to tie up the rest of the loose ends on this project very shortly. He was confident that there would be no more surprises.

And as for Lex… Lex would just have to get over it.

* * *

_Under the Kirby Bridge…later that night…_

Batman crouched on one of the cross-beams running underneath the bridge. It was a perilously narrow strip of steel, but nothing he wasn't used to. He kept his balance with one hand, while scanning the area below looking for any sign of Mills and Kline. Every once and a while he would tap lightly on his cowl, near his temple, to adjust the magnification of the lenses covering his eyes. He had the night vision enabled since his perch was located well within the dark shadows of the bridge's underside.

His own long range listening device was activated as well. Luckily the area was virtually deserted; the only background noise came from the bridge traffic above and the nearby water. Neither was loud enough to be an issue.

Batman made another scan of the area. While the area was virtually deserted, it was not totally deserted. He noticed a couple of Gotham's homeless nearby which was not really a surprise. The bridge beams and pilings provided some shelter from the wind and rain and a somewhat quiet place to sleep. There was what appeared to be a man doing just that several yards away under a blanket of newspapers. He was tucked in far behind a support beam. Batman concluded that the man was too far away and too unconscious to be a risk factor.

He watched as another figure crept along the dock below him, pushing a cart of cans. The figure was bundled in a tattered coat so without shape that it was difficult to tell whether it was a man or a woman. He presumed it was female, though, since it was mostly homeless women who collected cans, in his experience. Every now and again, the old woman would stop and pick up another can and toss her prize in. She moved slowly, pathetically.

Bruce was momentarily distracted by the image of the two, living their meager lives on the filthy dock. It was the kind of image that would have broken Thomas Wayne's heart. The elder Wayne was disheartened by that kind of poverty in all forms but especially in Gotham. As his son, Bruce Wayne made sure that the charities and organizations in Gotham received as much or more of the Wayne family money that Thomas Wayne would have given to help alleviate the problem but it never seemed be enough.

Still, there was not much Batman more could do about it directly; short of helping the police place the homeless in shelters during the colder months. As much as he hated to make a choice, Batman's war was on crime. Alleviating the poverty would have to be the work of the elected officials.

Batman was jolted from his distraction by the sound of heavy feet on the docks below. One of the men had arrived. It was Kline, Batman decided immediately, judging by the cigarette dangling from his lips.

The man smoked for a while and watched the water until his young accomplice arrived a few minutes later. Paul Mills wore a baseball cap over his stringy blond hair and was visibly shivering as the evening air cut through his thin jacket.

Batman stilled himself and focused on listening in on the conversation, confident that his skills in cloaking his presence would keep him hidden.

Kline: You're late.

Mills: Damn trains anyway, I hate traveling in this town.

Kline: A cab would have been too dangerous. Remember what I told you.

Mills: Yeah, yeah, easy for you to say. They sprung for a car for you.

Out of the corner of his eye, Batman noticed that the can woman was shuffling around a few yards away from the men. The man under the newspapers still appeared to be asleep.

Kline: Just can it, alright? (pause) Did you bring the stuff?

Mills: Yeah, I've got everything. I don't know why you couldn't get some of this stuff. You're there too.

Mills reached into his pocket and handed Kline what appeared to be a bundle of mini-discs.

Kline: It would have looked too suspicious. Some of these plans aren't used in my area. It would have raised too many red flags. Besides, I had a long enough list of my own.

Mills: So now what?

Kline: Now I take the stuff you got and check it over to make sure we got all the stuff on the shopping list. Once I'm sure it's all there. I make the call and set up a meeting with the client. I'm thinking he'll want to come to Gotham to collect the stuff personally. When we meet with him, we can discuss our bonus.

Mills: Bonus? I thought we only got the bonus if we met the deadline. The deadline was weeks ago.

Kline: Hey, it ain't our fault the damn place blew up! We're just lucky that the investigation into the explosion didn't flush us out. We sat around this pit of a town for over a month longer than we were supposed to, I think we deserve some compensation for that, don't you?

Mills: Yeah, but…do you think he'll go for it?

The sound of aluminum cans crashing together caused Kline to turn his head in the direction of the can woman. He looked at her suspiciously for a minute before continuing.

Kline: We might have to negotiate for it but it could work. My take on this is, this guy'll be cleaning up when he sells stuff anyway, or he wouldn't have gone to this much trouble. He shouldn't give a shit about sending some more bucks our way.

Mills: I guess…so who do you think he's selling this stuff to?

Kline: Shit, I don't know and I don't want to know. All's I have on this guy is an email address and a cell phone number. He knew how to find me and he told me to find you. He's got lots of money and lots of connections. That's not the kind of guy I want to fuck with…

Batman frowned. As he had suspected, Mills and Kline were only field hands. They had no clue as to the real identity of their boss on this job. He would need to keep close tabs on them until they met with him. That would be his one and only shot at nailing the bastard behind all this.

Out of the corner of his eye, Batman saw more movement from the can lady and looked sharply at her now that she was closer and under one of the lights of the bridge.

Something wasn't right.

She stooped to pick up another can. The movement caused the sleeve of her tattered coat to ride up, revealing her pale hand and forearm.

Her _clean_ hand and forearm.

Shit.

That was no homeless bag lady. Batman had encountered enough homeless people to know that their bodies, especially their hands, were typically covered with quite a bit of dirt, soot and unspeakable street grime.

Batman knew exactly who that woman was.

But unfortunately Batman wasn't the only one who had noticed the bag lady.

The two men had crossed the dock in record time to reach her.

Batman looked down in horror as Owen Kline's large hand closed around her clean, pale wrist.

"Listen, bag lady," Kline growled. "You've got two seconds to tell me who the hell who are or your ass is dead, you hear me?"

End chapter.


	18. Chapter 16

_AN: For those who may not know, Dr. Leslie Thompkins is a character from the Batman comics. She wasa friend/colleague of Dr. Thomas Wayne (Bruce's father) and was named one of Bruce's guardians (along with Alfred) after the Waynes were murdered. She popped up in the 90s animated series from time to time but to my knowledge has not been in any of the movies. _

_ -NBG  
_

**Chapter 16**

_Chloe opened her eyes and tried to focus. She was in bed. She blinked as he eyes adjusted to the light. She felt a sense of relief as her eyes took in the pale yellow walls, honey colored wood furnishings, the books and CDs piled high on the desk. Over her body lay the spring yellow comforter that she never would have picked out but that after weeks of sleeping under, she was growing attached to. Outside the small window, she could hear…very little. No traffic, no sirens, not even the odd farm animal. That was the whole point of witness protection, after all. She and her father were far away from anything that would make noise outside her window. She was in the safe house. _

_Chloe let her head roll on the pillow so she could see the nightstand at her left. It was there. The sleek black phone that only reached one other number. Her link to Lex. She didn't know what time it was but she felt she should call him. He would want to know that she was OK. She tried to sit up and reach for the phone but there was a searing pain in her head and a separate but still insistent ache in her chest. She winced and shut her eyes as the pain shot through her. Her entire head throbbed. Sitting up had made her realize how much it hurt to breathe. Neither pain was really unbearable but combined, they certainly were not pleasant. But the worst part was not knowing why she was in this much pain?_

Now lying back again on the pillow, Chloe attempted to open her eyes again and this time she almost choked.

The safe house room, her room, was gone. She was in a stark white room that looked sort of like a hospital. Her bed was like a hospital bed. There was an IV in her arm and a curtain around her bed, partially separating it from the rest of the room. Next to the bed was a simple end table, holding only a pitcher of water.

Chloe had been in hospitals enough to know that this one, wherever it was, was strange. For one thing, it was quiet, eerily quiet. There were no machines beeping nearby, in fact no machines in sight. Very strange for a hospital room. There were no sounds spilling in from the hospital corridors, no sounds of doctors being paged. Nothing. And where _were_ the doctors? Nurses? How had she gotten here? And where the hell was here anyway?

She wearily rubbed at her eyes. The safe house thing must have been a dream or a hallucination. _This_ was apparently real. Even if it didn't make any sense.

She heard a door opening and closing but the doorway itself was blocked by the curtain. Footsteps. Very light but purposeful. A pale and evidently female hand pulled back the curtain. It was an older woman, that much was clear from the stature of the visitor. But other than her gender and race, there was not much Chloe could tell about the woman. She wore medical scrubs and white coat with a surgical mask and cap covering her face and hair. What little Chloe could see of her face was lined but clear. She was likely in her late fifties to early sixties.

"Ah, you're awake. At last." The woman said through her mask. "How do you feel?"

"Where am I and who are you?" Chloe asked and then was immediately surprised at how raspy her own voice sounded.

"How about we start with your name dear, just so I know how your head is?"

"I know my own damn name, my age, my Social Security number and my favorite cereal. What I don't know is who you are and where I am!"

The older woman aimed a small penlight at her left eye and then her right, then slipped the penlight in her pocket and adjusted a small bandage on Chloe's forehead that she had not realized was there until just now.

"Well, that's quite a response. Aren't you just like someone else I know? That's alright, I imagine waking up here was a bit of a shock. You had a pretty bad bump on the head so it's no surprise you're confused. I'm a doctor, dear, and you're someplace safe."

"But where—?" Chloe started but was cut off by the thermometer being stuck under her tongue.

"I can't tell you much more. I'm not in charge around here. All I can tell you is that you took a nasty knock on your head, along with a couple of other injuries, and you were brought here to recover. You have a concussion, though it's thankfully mild, some bruised but not broken ribs and some other assorted bumps and cuts. In short, you'll live. No permanent damage." Her eyes crinkled up at the corners and Chloe realized that the doctor was smiling at her, though she couldn't see her mouth through the mask.

"You're a strong girl, aren't you?" the doctor stated rather than asked. "That's good, the world's a tough place, particularly for woman. But always remember, being strong doesn't mean you're invulnerable. We're all flesh and bone in the end…"

Chloe looked wide-eyed at the woman as she pulled the thermometer from her mouth, checked the digits and put it away.

"You don't have a fever so that's good. Your head must feel like it's about to explode though, right?"

Chloe nodded dumbly. That was an understatement.

The doctor patted her hand. I'll get you something for the pain, just a few aspirin, I don't know enough about your medical background to give you anything stronger, but this should do the trick. Works as well as it did for the Greeks all those thousands of years ago. If it isn't broken, don't fix it, I always say…"

The doctor had a soothing and melodic voice and a calm demeanor that Chloe might have found relaxing in any other scenario but given that she had no idea who the woman was, where they were, and how she had gotten there, she certainly could not relax.

"Who brought me here? And how do I know if I can trust you, I can't even see your face!"

The doctor disconnected her IV. "We can take this out now; you're awake so we can get some real food in you and something hot to drink. That'll probably help more than the aspirin, truth be told. I'll make sure they bring you down something good. Now don't try to sit up too fast yet, you might make yourself sick. A mild concussion is still a concussion, you know."

"Are you going to answer my question?"

The doctor looked amused. "Which question was that, dear?"

"Take your pick, I've asked about six of them, none of which you have answered. How about we start about the trust one?"

"How are you supposed to trust me if you can't see my face? Believe me, dear, this mask is not my idea. I told you, I'm not in charge around here. The person who is in charge prefers that we keep our identities…to ourselves. As for trusting me, well, we saved your life. That has to count for something, right?"

Chloe frowned. "Who's we? And how do I know that you saved my life? I can't remember anything after…being on the docks…"

She shook her head. She remembered being on the docks, watching Mills and Kline talk and trying to hear what they said. Then something went wrong…she just couldn't remember what. She winced. The pain in her head grew stronger.

"Easy there, you're just making it worse. Relax it bit and take your aspirin." The doctor handed her a bottle and glass of water. "Here you go, new bottle. At least you won't think I'm trying to poison you."

Chloe eyed the bottle suspiciously. It was just regular aspirin. She broke the seal on the bottle, downed two pills and sipped at the glass of water the doctor offered. She was in too much pain to fight anymore.

"Good girl. Now relax and try to get some rest. I'm sure that…someone will be in to talk to you." She patted Chloe's hand. "Don't worry, everything will work out. You're in good hands."

She turned to leave and Chloe began scanning the room for another exit. Apparently she wasn't as subtle about it as she thought.

"Oh and Chloe? There's no other way out of this room. I know that's what you're looking for. We're not trying to keep you prisoner. We're trying to keep you safe. There's a difference. I wouldn't advise that you get up just yet anyway. Give your body time to heal."

Chloe frowned and sank deeper under the plain white bedcovers. Mind-reading, faceless, grandmotherly doctors. Windowless locked rooms and a big chunk of her memory missing. Could this get any stranger?

* * *

_Batcave…very late at night…_

Batman looked up from his console as he heard the door to the infirmary room close. When he had built the Batcave, he had sectioned off some areas into finished rooms for a variety of purposes. The infirmary had been a main priority and it was used frequently. There was also a workout and training area, a vault room for his costumes and equipment, and some other assorted areas.

In the past year, he had made some other improvements to the cave structure as he began to envision various scenarios in which they might be necessary. There was now a separate elevator to the cave hidden the butler's pantry in the kitchen of the manor. Alfred now used that entrance almost exclusively.

Batman stood up as Leslie Thompkins entered the room, pulling down her mask as she walked. She gave him an amused grin.

"I can't believe you actually made me wear this thing. I thought you were joking but then I remembered, you never joke."

"It was a necessary precaution. She can't be allowed to see any of our faces, for obvious reasons, Leslie."

"I know you think so, dear, but, really, what's the likelihood that she'd recognize me? I'm just a faceless old M.D. after all." He eyes were bright as she said this. Leslie had a self-deprecating air about herself even though she ran the largest and most successful public clinic in the city and sat on the board of Gotham University Hospital. Her face was not publicly known but with Chloe Sullivan, he could leave nothing to chance.

"You don't know this woman, Leslie. It was necessary. I can't take a chance that she'll connect you with Bruce Wayne."

Batman noted that Leslie rolled her eyes abut when he referred to his other identity in the third person but he ignored it. "Thank you for examining her again. How is she?"

"Just like I said earlier, she has a slight concussion, some bumps and bruises but she'll be fine. She's an inquisitive one though, I'll give you that."

"She's awake?!" Batman exclaimed.

"Oh yes, she certainly is. She's in some pain and she's pretty cranky about being here though most of that might be due to the fact that she has no idea where here is or who I am or who brought her here."

"She doesn't remember what happened?"

Leslie shook her head. "No, she said she just remembers being on the docks and that's it. It'll probably come back to her when the pain subsides. But she knows who she is and all her other memories are there so no permanent damage. I gave her two aspirin and told her to rest. I also told her not to try to escape because she looked like that was her next move."

"You're right. That is very likely her next move."

"Well, what do you plan to do with her? You can't keep her in there forever."

"I don't intend to; she's only here long enough for me to wrap up my investigation which I can not do if she's believed to be alive."

"Won't people notice that she's gone?"

"They almost certainly will, I'm counting on that." Batman's mind drifted to Lex. "Some might be upset about the matter but it can't be helped. She has to stay here."

Leslie cocked her head to one side and pulled off her surgical cap. She patted her short silver hair with her free hand. "I guess that means you'll have some company down here for change," she teased.

Batman groaned sharply. "Believe me; I am not looking forward to the idea. The woman's intolerable. It's her own fault she's here in the first place. I warned her and she didn't listen to me."

"Hmmm, stubborn. How frustrating that must be for you."

"I don't want her here, Leslie, she's a security risk of the highest order."

Leslie replaced her white medical coat with a street coat and buttoned it up. "I'm sure you'll manage just fine. Have Alfred make her something hot to eat and try not to bark at her too much. She's a tough girl, I can tell, but she's still scared and confused."

Leslie stepped closer and reached out her hand. At first it seemed like she was going to stroke his cheek but she pulled back her hand, seeming to reconsider. She patted his broad shoulder through the Kevlar. "Take care of yourself, too…Bruce."

"Leslie…" he warned.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sorry, dear. I can't help it, it is your name after all….I'll call in few hours to make sure she's aright and stop in sometime tomorrow evening. You get some rest yourself, doctor's orders."

Not bothering to wait for a response, she strode over to the hall leading to the new pantry lift and disappeared.

Batman sighed and pushed back his cowl. A thin stubble and frown lines marred Bruce Wayne's face. It had been quite a night. He certainly hadn't planned on bringing an unconscious Chloe Sullivan back to the Batcave that night. It was, frankly, the last place he wanted her. Well, actually, the very last place her wanted her was at the bottom of the Gotham River. As much of a pain in the ass as she was, he couldn't have left her there.

He went over his actions in his head, as he typically did after a patrol. Analyzing his responses, considering alternatives that might have worked better, never allowing himself to become complacent in his work.

Had he hesitated too long? Should he have acted differently? Should he have extracted her as soon as things went bad even if it meant revealing his presence to the two men?

No, he had acted as he should have. He gotten her out of there alive and without the other men knowing they were being watched. It had been the only way. He deeply regretted every blow Chloe Sullivan had been forced to suffer as a result, but she was alive.

Bruce pulled the cowl back over his face.

That was his job, after all, keeping people alive.

* * *

_Meanwhile…Batcave infirmary…_

Chloe pushed the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of nausea hit her as she tried to sit up.

Yup, this was a concussion, all right. She'd had them before, she could handle this one. Looking down, Chloe realized that clothes she had worn to the dock were gone and she was wearing some enormous black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. Men's clothes. Another mystery, but low priority right now. Right now she was focused on finding out what was behind that door.

The tiled floor was cool against her bare feet. Her legs felt weak as she eased her weight off of the bed on onto them. Better take this slow.

The nausea was still present; it was still very likely that she was going to make some kind of mess on this nice white floor.

A few more inches. She was now leaning against the bed, with most of her weight on her legs, though one leg was visibly shaking. Deep breaths. Oxygen is key. Breathe, she thought.

She pushed her weight off the bed and stood without aid, swaying slightly but, dammit, she was on her own feet. She almost missed the sound of the door unlocking and opening but there was no time to react before the curtain was pushed aside by a large gloved hand.

Batman, enormous and intimidating, like a shadow come to life. His dark shape was striking against the white walls of the room.

"What are you doing?" he growled. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Chloe's other leg began to shake and her head began to throb.

Then the missing pieces of the night came rushing back to her. Darkness. Pain. Water. Batman.

_Under the Kirby Bridge…earlier that night…_

_Owen Kline gripped her wrist like a vice._

""_Listen, bag lady," he growled. "You've got two seconds to tell me who the hell you are or your ass is dead, you hear me?"_

_She froze. How the hell had he known?_

_She looked down at his larger hand around her smaller, pale wrist and it came to her. Her hands! Of course, her hands were too clean! She had ratted up her clothes and hat but had forgotten abut her hands. She had been in such a rush to get down here and assume her persona, there had not been time to troubleshoot any problem areas in her mirror at home, as she typically did with unfamiliar get-ups. Now it was going to cost her. Big time. _

_Unless she could figure out a way out of this. _

_She tried to pull away but he held fast and gestured for Mills to circle around her and grab her other arm. With his free hand, Kline pulled her tattered knit cap off her head causing her blond ponytail to fall out. _

"_Very pretty and well kept for a bag lady, wouldn't you say?" he said to his partner. Then he squeezed her wrist. Her bad wrist. Chloe could not hold back a whimper as the pain shot up her arm. "Answer me, bitch. Who are you? Cops? CIA?" he demanded. _

_She was silent._

"_I know this bitch, man." Mills said suddenly. "She was down at the LW plant after the explosion. Nosing around and talking to Lui. She had on a jacket that said 'Allied' on it! She ain't a cop. She's from that big insurance company."_

"_Insurance?" Kline squeezed her wrist again harder, and Chloe cried out. "What the fuck does she want with us?"_

_Mills secured her from behind around her waist while Kline let got of her wrist and grabbed her chin instead and leaned his face close to hers. _

"_Tell us, bitch. Why are you following us? Talk now or we'll make you talk." His eyes skimmed down her body and added. "I'm thinking of a whole lotta ways I want to make you talk." _

_Chloe spit in his face. _

"_Fuck!" Kline blinked and scowled as he wiped his cheek. Then he raised his hand to punch her across the face but she twisted herself loose at the last second and Kline connected with his partner instead, who went down._

_Now on her knees, Chloe tried to crawl away, reaching inside her coat for her gun as she did. But Kline had her ankles. Mills, on his knees as well, kicked at her ribs, sending pain shooting through her. Chloe kicked back and managed to connect with a groin, but she didn't know whose. _

_Kline's muffled "Fuckin' bitch" solved that mystery a second later. Once again Chloe was on the move, one her knees, her gun in her hand. She heard a car approaching, a big one from the sound of it. She prayed that she could get to it before the men caught up but as she tried to get to her feet, one of the men tackled her and she hit her head on the wood planks as she went down. The whole world went fuzzy. _

_She felt another blow to her face and the gun slipped from her fingers; she reached blindly for it but another kick to her ribs stopped her. Then she was being lifted._

"_We got to get outta here, there's a car coming. Could be cops."_

"_What about her?"_

"_There's no time. She's out. Drop her off the end of the dock, let the river finish her. We gotta go!"_

_Still groggy, Chloe felt her self being lifted again and she tried to scream but no sound would come out of her throat. The hands that had been carrying her let go and she was falling, falling…she heard footsteps running on wood in the distance…_

_Then she hit the water. Hard. It stung her back as she landed and froze every bit of exposed flesh, filled her mouth, ears, eyes, and clothes, draggin her down…blackness surrounded her. Her clothes were too heavy, she pulled at them them, trying to break free… Dark. Cold. Need air. _

_Through the fog, she felt the impact of something else hitting the water nearby, then she felt something grabbing her and lifting her again. In her fear, she thought it was Mills and Kline and she struggled against it but it was too strong. Then the water was gone, replaced by freezing cold air, but it was air. She opened her mouth and choked out the water she had swallowed. Then she looked up at the person carrying her. _

_Dark. Wet. Pointy ears._

_Then, nothing but darkness._

* * *

_Batcave infirmary…_

Chloe legs gave out and the floor rushed up to meet her. Then stopped.

Batman's iron-like arms were under hers, holding her up, and pressing against her bruised ribs. She winced at the pain and, inexplicably, he adjusted his hold on her to relieve the pressure.

"It was you," she croaked. She stared into the eye slits of the cowl. "At the docks, the car…in the water…it was you. Why?"

He lifted her easily and laid her back onto the bed. "The doctor ordered you to stay in bed. Are you completely incapable of following orders?" he barked.

Chloe sank into the bed and pulled the blankets up around her. She rolled over to face the opposite wall.

"I don't understand. What were you doing there? Why did you pull me out?"

No answer.

Chloe looked back at him over her shoulder. Nothing.

Batman was gone. A second later, she heard the door lock behind the curtain.

* * *

_Gotham City Police Headquarters…the following morning_

Ted Dandridge tapped his fingers on the desk of the reception desk near the entrance doors to Gotham Police Headquarters. It had been years since he had worked in this building but watching the officers arrive, sip their coffee, usher manacled suspects back and forth, he was struck with the notion that some things never changed. The damn place even smelled the name, and that wasn't a good thing. Coffee, urine, sweat and…other stuff. As a cop he had gotten used to it, but now he was relieved that most of the criminals he dealt with now at Allied showered every once and a while.

He spotted Jim Gordon approaching him and Dandridge immediately grinned but the grin faded when he realized that Jim wasn't smiling back. The look on his face was eerily familiar.

Gordon extended his hand. "Thanks for coming down right away, Ted."

"Your message said it was urgent. What's up?"

"Not here. My office," replied Gordon.

The walked in silence to Gordon's glass box of an office on the main floor. Gordon shut the door behind them and indicated that Ted should sit before doing so himself.

Ted could see Gordon swallowing hard before he spoke. "When was the last time you spoke to Chloe Sullivan, Ted?"

"Couple of days ago, she's on unpaid leave from Allied. Why?"

"This unpaid leave, is it voluntary?"

"It's an internal matter." Ted replied warily. "What's going on, Jim?"

"When you spoke, did it seem like she was upset about something or someone?"

Ted frowned. "Don't patronize me by asking me questions like that without telling me what you know. You know me better than that."

"You're right, Ted. I apologize…" He adjusted his glasses before reaching unto his top drawer and lifting out a clear evidence bag. Inside the bag was a small caliber black and silver handgun.

"Homeless guy turned it in last night," Ted nodded. Gotham's mayor had initiated a "Guns for Cash" program in a desperate attempt to get guns off the streets and reduce crime. It had been marginally more successful than similar programs other cities had run in the early 1990s. Gordon continued. "Said he found it down by the docks under the Kirby Bridge. He was sleeping nearby, some kind of commotion woke him up. He said he walked down to the edge of the docks and found it lying there. There was no one else around, no blood, nothing."

"And…." Ted prompted.

"We ran the serial number. It's registered to a C.J. Sullivan. The address she listed on the registration was Allied's. This is your Ms. Sullivan's gun."

Ted was silent for a full minute, letting the implications sink in. "Her apartment?" He asked, though he knew the answer already.

"Clean, no signs of struggle. I had two officers check it this morning. Yesterday's paper was there so she hasn't been gone very long but…" Gordon trailed off, he didn't need to say the rest. The struggle, the gun, the location. It didn't look good.

Ted covered the lower half of his face with his hand and swallowed, trying to get his head clear.

"We don't know anything for sure yet, right? There was nothing else at the scene to indicate that anything happened."

Jim shook his head. "You're right, we don't know anything. You know the drill, Ted. I'll need a list of her friends and family so we can start making some calls, start retracing her steps. You said she was on leave, so she wasn't working on a case or anything, correct?"

Ted gave an ironic laugh. "Not working? CJ? That'll be the day. No, she was working, alright, and she must have found something. And now, for her father's sake, I hope we can find _her_."

End chapter.


	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_Batcave infirmary…later that morning…_

Chloe awoke once more to eerie silence, making her wonder once more about her location. Wherever it was that Batman was keeping her, it was soundproof. No sounds in, no sounds out. Shouting wouldn't help.

At least this morning, or whatever time of day it was, she felt better. The nausea seemed to have passed and her headache had subsided. Her bruised ribs still protested each movement but she could live with that. There was a dull ache in her bad wrist where Owen Kline had gripped her, but it too was bearable.

She sat up in the bed and looked around. There was now another small table in the room, in addition to the nightstand. There was a small pile of newspapers and news magazines on it. She stared incredulously at the small pile. Was Batman honesty worried about her getting bored while he held her captive against her will?

Chloe snorted at the thought and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. There was a tray on the nightstand now. She leaned closer and pulled off the dome over the food. Soup, warm rolls, fruit, cheese, juice, and a carafe of coffee.

Titling her head to the side, she studied the careful way the fruit had been sliced. The strawberries were cut into fan shapes and the cantaloupe cubes were perfectly symmetrical. There was even a spring of mint.

Chloe shook her head. There was no way in hell the same man who skewered her MP3 player from twenty feet away had sliced and garnished this tray. No, someone else was here, a cook or servant of some kind. Batman might have brought the tray in himself but he had someone else in the building, complex, whatever.

Strangely, Chloe felt almost comforted by the thought. Though it was clear Batman had saved her life, she was still not thrilled with the idea of being alone with him. She noticed a card on the tray with writing on it and picked it up.

A love note from her pointy-eared host?

It was a plain, white and about the size of a postcard. The writing was in heavy, black inked block letters:

_Ms. Sullivan,_

_I did not intend to bring you here but your actions left me no other choice. You are here for your own safety, not as a prisoner. _

_Soon you will understand that we are on the same side._

The note was unsigned but what did she except? A little hand-drawn Bat-logo? Pre-printed bat-wing shaped stationery?

Chloe began exploring the room, moving slowly because she still felt the effects of her injuries.

She ran her hands along the stark white walls looking for signs of a camera. She was certain there was one in the room somewhere. Batman struck her as the kind of man who wouldn't just leave her unintended without having some kind of 'eye' on her. Instead of a camera, she found the thick, locked door leading outside. It had a smooth, seamless knob and latch that made it virtually impossible to pick, even if she could MacGuyver the eating utensils into some kind of tool. Damn.

She found a bathroom as well, a small room off to the right if the curtain. It had stark white walls and fixtures as well, a toilet, sink, shower, white towels. There were dispensers for soap and shampoo and as well as a fully stocked cabinet of medical supplies, like bandages wound care products. Once again, no scissors or anything that might help her get out. Both the bathroom and the room with the bed were windowless.

She used the toilet, washed her face and hands. A shower was not possible until she had some clean clothes to change into so she padded back to the bed, grabbing a newspaper along the way.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she could not help but be reminded of her time in the safe house before the trial. Passing the time with books, movies, CDs and newspapers. No place to go, a prisoner in virtually every way despite all protests to the contrary.

She was a prisoner once again.

Only this time, she didn't have her father. Or Lex.

* * *

_Wayne Enterprises…that morning_

They were in a conference with LW Tech managers and engineers when it finally happened. Bruce had been expecting it for hours but he schooled his expression to show at least a degree of surprise when it did.

His eyes immediately went to Lex when he heard a knock on the conference room door. It opened revealing a very nervous looking receptionist with a message slip in her hand. Through the crack in the door, Bruce could see the familiar figure of Captain Jim Gordon.

The receptionist handed the slip to Lex without a word and Bruce watched as Lex's already pale skin grew paler and the muscles tightened in his throat. Lex rose immediately, calmly smoothing his tie as he did so.

"Excuse me; I need to be somewhere else." He made no further attempt to explain himself before disappearing through the door so Bruce was forced to adjourn the meeting himself before jogging to catch up with his the two men.

Lex and Gordon looked up at him in surprise when he walked in the small room off the reception area. He feigned frustration at Lex's sudden exit, though he had known all along that Lex would drop everything once he found out.

"Lex, you can't just walk out of a meeting like that. What's going on?"

"Stay out of this, Bruce." Lex turned back to Gordon. "Tell me what you _do_ know, then."

Gordon's eyes darted back to Bruce again but he seemed to decide to speak anyway since it was clear that Lex was ignoring him, or trying to at least.

"We know that she hasn't been back to her apartment since yesterday. The security cameras in her lobby show her leaving shortly before dark. When was the last time you spoke to her?"

"Excuse me! " Bruce interjected. "Who are we talking about?"

Lex clenched his fists. "I thought I told you to stay out of this. Go back to your meeting."

Bruce extended his hand to Gordon. "What's going on?"

Gordon shook his hand briefly. "I'm here to speak to Mr. Luthor about Chloe Sullivan. Her employer mentioned that she had worked with you as well."

"If you can call it that. She works for the company that insured one of our plants. She was here to investigate and accident at the plant. Why are asking about her?"

"Because she's missing!" Lex snapped impatiently. "They don't know where she is and they think something may have happened to her!" Lex was breathing faster now. He turned back to Gordon. "I haven't spoken to her for four or five days. The last time I saw her was here, she came to speak to both of us, then she left. I've left messages at her apartment but she hasn't called me back. Are you certain she's only been missing since yesterday?"

"Yes, we're certain. As I said, we have footage of her on her security camera and her boss says they spoke two days ago." Gordon shifted his weight from one foot to another and looked at Bruce briefly before continuing. "We've…listened to the messages, Mr. Luthor. They indicate that you and Ms. Sullivan had some kind of disagreement the last time you spoke. Is that correct?"

Lex opened his mouth but Bruce cut him off with a hand on his arm. "Don't answer that, Lex."

Lex shook off his friend's hand. "Will you stay out of this? I have nothing to hide and something I know might help them find her!" To Gordon he said, "Yes, we had a disagreement. It happened here, in front of a number of people. Her company closed the investigation on the accident on our plant and she didn't agree with them. She got upset and walked out and I have not been able to reach her since." Bruce noted that Lex left out the part about them being lovers.

Bruce wasn't the only one who noticed that, though. Gordon followed up right away. "You and Miss Sullivan were…"Gordon trailed off, his implication was clear.

"Yes, we were."

Gordon scribbled something on a pad. "And you, Mr. Wayne, when was the last time you saw Miss Sullivan?"

"Same day," he replied. As Bruce Wayne anyway. His mind was working fast. Neither Lex nor he was in any danger of actually being arrested. The Gotham Police had no way of proving that anything had happened to Chloe. Because nothing _had_ happened to her. She was alive, thanks to him, and safe. She would be back home within a few days and everything would be over. Still, no one knew that _he_ knew that. "What makes you think something has happened to her? Couldn't she just be out of town for a few days?"

Gordon cleared his throat. "Someone found a weapon registered to her on the docks under the Kirby Bridge. A witness reported hearing a commotion in the area right before finding the gun. Her boss says she was on leave from her company at the time but says it's very likely that she was investigating something in her free time."

Bruce watched as Lex ran his hand down his face. His friend was trying his best to stay composed but anyone, even someone who didn't know him, could see the worry.

"How many people do you have looking for her? I can hire more. How many more do you need?" Lex asked, the words coming out in a rush.

"We have officers on it. Right now we're focusing on the river. There's always the chance that she may have fallen in or been pushed in…" Bruce eyes shifted to Lex then immediately he signaled to Gordon to stop talking. Lex's face and body had virtually turned to stone. He didn't need to hear anymore. Bruce could not ignore the guilt he felt for putting Lex through this but there was no other way. The least he could do right now was minimize the number of times Lex would picture Chloe's body floating in the Gotham River.

"What else do you need from us?" Bruce asked Gordon.

"Actually, gentlemen, right now I need to know where the two of you were last night. It's standard procedure, you understand…"

Lex wasn't listening. "Her father," he demanded. "Has anyone called Gabe Sullivan?"

* * *

_Batcave infirmary…later that day…_

Chloe looked up from her Gotham Gazette when she heard the door to the room open. She briefly considered charging towards whoever entered, in hopes of escaping but she quickly came to her senses. This was the Batman after all. Wherever here was, there was sure to be more between her and freedom then a single locked door. Besides, if it were him at the door, she wouldn't get far. The man was built like a Mack truck.

As it turned out, it wasn't Batman at all. It was the doctor who had cared for her before. She breezed in, dressed as she had been on the previous visit and carrying two shopping bags.

"Hello there, dear. I see you're up and around. You look much better." The doctor spoke as if all of her patients were kept in locked rooms at undisclosed locations. But then, Chloe realized, maybe they were. The older woman set down her bags and fished in her lab coat or something. Her penlight, Chloe realized. The woman was in front if her within seconds, shining the damn light in her eye and feeling at the – ouch! – still tender spots in her head.

God, could this woman talk!

"How are you today, any nausea?" she asked.

Chloe shook her head.

"Dizziness?"

"No, not since I woke up."

"Good, good. Did you need any more aspirin?"

"No, I just want to know where---?"

"Ah, I see that Al— I mean, I see that some food was brought to you and you ate some. Good girl. I knew getting a good meal in you would make a world of difference. Just don't overdo it, your stomach's not made of iron, you know," the doctor interrupted. She lightly pressed her hands on either side of Chloe's waist. "How are the ribs?"

Chloe shirked away. "Sore! Quit poking them!"

"Sorry, dear," the doctor said with a laugh. "It's my job to poke you. It's called treating you."

Chloe reluctantly raised her arms and let the doctor poke around her middle some more.

"Just like I said, bruised, not broken. If the pain gets too bad, I can get you some hot compresses but I'm not going to wrap them. That would only make things worse."

Chloe nodded, unsure of what else to do.

"Now I think what you really need right now, dear, is a hot shower and a change of clothes, right?

"God, yes!"

The other woman laughed and fished around in her shopping bags. "Here, I brought you some clothes to change into, and some toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, that kind of thing. Now go on, you smell like the Gotham River."

Chloe frowned at the woman as she took the bag. "That's not my fault, you know."

"Oh I know, I wish we could have cleaned you up a bit last night but I wasn't about to toss you in a shower when you could barely stand. Now go on, I'll take care of these sheets while you're gone."

Chloe slid off the bed a, shopping bag in hand and started towards the bathroom. She paused to look back at the woman, looking quite odd in her surgical mask and scrubs, changing the sheets on her bed.

God, this whole thing was odd.

She reached the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Within seconds, she had freed herself of the too large clothing, leaving it in a heap on the floor. Now that the doctor had mentioned it, she did smell a bit like the Gotham River. Yeeech. God only knew what was in that river.

She turned the knobs to make the water as warm as her skin could tolerate before climbing into the shower. Even with the warm water, the stark white tiles made the space feel cold and impersonal. She felt more alone than ever.

* * *

_Lex Luthor's Metropolis apartment…earlier that week..._

_Chloe stood still, letting the water from three showerheads – one on each wall - ripple over her body. Showering in Lex's opulent bathroom wasn't quite an orgasmic experience but damn, it was close. It was late Sunday night and Chloe was beginning to think she's never actually leave. Lex had a way of persuading her to stay longer than she wanted to. She squeezed some of his shower gel over her breasts and stomach. Not that she put up much of a fight. _

_She felt a draft behind her as Lex opened the glass door and stepped in behind her. She glanced at him over her bare shoulder and he waggled two bottles at her. _

"_See? Told you I had some shampoo in this place" he said. "Guest bathroom, my housekeeper buys it just in case."_

"_Just in case of what? No, never mind. Don't tell me." Chloe said, turning back around. She had no more right to ask if other women visited him here than he had a right to ask about the men who had been in her bed. That wasn't a conversation they needed to have after one night and one afternoon. And ten years. Whatever. _

_She heard Lex laughing behind her but he wisely didn't comment. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his own now-slippery body. "Need some help?" he whispered into her ear._

"_Make yourself useful," she whispered back. "Pick a dirty part and wash it."_

_She was rewarded with another throaty laugh from him and she couldn't help but tingle in anticipation at just which of her parts he would decide to wash. That's why she was more than a bit surprised when she felt him squeeze some shampoo onto her scalp._

"_That's the part you picked?"_

_Lex's long fingers began working the shampoo into her scalp, circling her temples, sweeping down across the back of her head to the sensitive nape of her neck. Heaven._

"_Mmmmmmmmmmm…" she murmured_

"_You were saying?" he teased._

"_Shut up. Lather, rinse, and repeat, wise ass."_

"_Yes, ma'am."_

_He continued working at her scalp, probably leaving it cleaner than it had ever been, not to mention turning her own more than she would have though possible given their activities for the last hour or so. _

_He carefully rinsed her hair under the showerheads, smoothed it back on her head and applied the conditioner._

_Lex titled her head forward and rubbed at her neck and in the sensitive spots behind her ears. Chloe didn't even try to hold back the sighs and moans his touches caused in her. _

"_You're really rather good at this. If this CEO thing falls through, you've got a back-up gig. How do you like the sound of Meester Lexy's Salon?"_

_He gave her bottom a light smack with his free hand. "Behave. I'd sooner flip burgers than be called by that name. Besides, don't you want to be the only one who gets this kind of treatment?"_

_Chloe stomach clenched. Danger. Danger. Don't answer that. Don't answer that. _

"_I..ah…don't forget the roots." she replied_

_Lex didn't respond, he just kept working his fingers at her scalp for another few minutes before rinsing her clean. "All done."_

_She spun around in his arms and thanked him with an open-mouthed kiss. Their bodies were slippery, warm, and sliding deliciously against each other's. It was like kissing in the rain, only a hundred times better. _

_Lex pulled back from the kiss and grinned evilly. He produced a loofah sponge out of nowhere. "Got anymore dirty parts?"_

_Chloe gave a uncharacteristic squeal in response and leaned back against the tiled wall as he made his way down her body with the sponge, teasing, and touching, just enough to drive her crazy but not enough to drive her over the edge. She was, however, grateful that there was a towel bar for her to grip and hold herself up when he nibbled a spot high up on her inner thigh at one point. _

_He rose to his feet and kissed her again before smiling against her lips. "Is it my turn yet?"_

"_You're damn right it is!"_

_She grabbed the sponge and went to work, mimicking what he had done to her, exploring, touching, kissing…and washing. God, showers alone were never this much fun…even with a shower head attachment. _

_Once she was done, she rose back up and Lex kissed her again, even more urgently, licking the excess water from her lips before kissing his way down her neck. He traced the marks on her neck and upper chest with his fingers before kissing over them again._

_Chloe peeked down to see what had his attention. Typical man, admiring his handiwork._

"_You could have been more careful there."_

"_I could have."_

"_Danny saw them this morning."_

"_He also heard me. He would have known either way regardless of a few marks on your neck."_

"_He hates you even more now, you know."_

_Lex straightened up and smirked. "I'm really broken up about that."_

"_I can tell."_

_Lex responded by gripping her by her hips and hoisting her up. She linked her arms and legs around him and held on as he switched off the water and stepped out of the shower. _

_Chloe buried her face in his neck. "You're going to get me all dirty again, aren't you?"_

_Lex snagged a couple towels from the warmer rack as he steered them towards the bedroom. "That was the plan. Any problem with that?"_

"_Not really, I just like to know these things."_

* * *

_Batcave infirmary…_

Chloe switched off the water in the shower, satisfied that she has scrubbed every bit of the Gotham River out of her skin and hair.

She wished it were as easy to scrub away the feelings that her memories had stirred up. Arousal wasn't the problem, she could deal with that. No, the real issue was the unshakable feeling that she had made a mistake in walking away from Lex the other day.

And now he might think she was dead.

* * *

_Gotham City Police HQ Enterprises…that afternoon_

Lex felt numb. People were talking around him and he couldn't make out the words. Someone had put coffee in front of him and it was tasteless to him. He drank it anyway.

Maybe numb was the wrong word. Indifferent. That was a better word. The last few hours had been an utter and complete waste of time and his mood had gone from angry to frustrated to incredulous and finally, to indifferent.

Bruce had driven them down to police headquarters when Gordon mentioned alibis. He instructed one of Wayne Enterprises' attorneys to meet them there. Lex protested, repeating that he had nothing to hide but gave up when it was clear that Bruce wasn't listening to him. What did it matter anyway? He recalled Chloe's quip about paying a suit eight-hundred dollars an hour just to sit next to you and almost laughed. Fucking irony.

The lawyer was unnecessary anyway. The police soon confirmed their alibis. He had been on a conference call with Luthor Corp.'s suppliers in Japan until late into the night and Alfred confirmed that Bruce had been at the manor working. Waste of time, Lex thought. Checking their alibis got them no closer to finding Chloe. The Gotham police were refusing his offer of bringing in outside investigators to assist. Officially, they said, they could not authorize outside help. Jim Gordon had then added that any "unofficial" help would need to be OK'd by Gabe Sullivan.

In the meantime, they were doing their impression of the Keystone cops, sifting through his phone records and chatting up Bruce's elderly butler all while Chloe was out there. Somewhere. Alone. And there was nothing Lex could do about it, not until Gabe Sullivan arrived. Until then, Lex remained indifferent to the idiots around him. Lost in his thoughts of Chloe. It was torture.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor broke into his thoughts and he looked up to see a lanky, older man sitting down across from him. He had been at the station as long as Lex had been, talking to James Gordon and others in the room, though Lex hadn't been introduced to him.

Lex looked around. Bruce was in the far corner of the room, talking on his cell phone and Gordon was in the room next door, talking to his detectives. Lex could see him through the plate glass windows in the walls.

He turned back to the man across from him who by now had extended his hand.

"Ted Dandridge, Allied Insurance."

Lex nodded. Chloe's boss.

He took the man's hand. "Lex Luthor."

"I know."

"Yes, most people do," he replied, distantly. Lex might have been shell-shocked over the events of the day but he wasn't oblivious. He saw the way Dandridge was watching him.

After a minute or two Lex spoke again. "Chloe told you about us," he said. "That's why you put her on unpaid leave."

"I had no other choice." Dandridge sighed and leaned back. "I do feel responsible, though. I knew. I knew when I sent her in that you two had a history but she's the best I have and my desire to get to the bottom of whatever happened over at that plant overrode my judgment. I didn't realize or maybe I didn't believe that her feelings for you... Well, you know."

"We all made our own decisions." Lex said flatly. "None of it matters anymore. I just want to find her. I just want her to be safe. The rest is…just meaningless noise at this point."

Dandridge looked confused for a moment, then seemed to let it go. "You're right. I hear you offered to bring in outside help at your own expense to help find her. That's a generous offer."

Lex stared at the table between them. "There's nothing generous about it. I want her back more than anyone in this room. I suppose that makes me the most selfish. Gordon won't accept the offer though." He shook his head with bitter half smile. People turning down his money yet again. The gods of irony were having a field day with him "He said if I want to help I need to talk to Chloe's father."

"Well, he should be here any minute. He flew in from California on the next flight out. I've got one of my guys picking him up from the airport."

Lex nodded. "How is he? Have you spoken to him?" After all these years, he still had tremendous respect for Gabe Sullivan. Chloe had not told her father the whole truth about her job, Gabe was in for shock.

"Briefly, this morning but not since he landed. Danny called in when they were leaving the airport and said he seemed pretty calm."

Danny?

Lex sat up straighter. "Danny? Danny Peña? _That's_ who you sent to pick up Gabe?"

"Yes, why? What's the problem? Danny knows CJ better than almost anyone at Allied…"

The sounds of voices approaching voices and some kind of commotion outside the door caused them both to stand up quickly.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!??? Lex heard the agitated voice outside the door and held his breath.

"What the--?" wondered Ted Dandridge aloud as the door flung open. Before either of them could react, Gabe Sullivan came barreling in towards Lex.

"You goddamn son of a bitch! What have you done to her this time?!!! Gabe shouted, slamming his fist into Lex's face.

With little time to react, Gabe's fist connected with his face right below his eye. Hard. And Lex went down, or at least started to before Gabe caught him and lifted him up by his throat.

Gabe Sullivan might have been in his late fifties but he was a big man and former military. Plus he was angry. Anger carried a lot of power with it and Lex had never seen Gabe this angry or this violent. Until now.

Dazed, Lex heard a loud thud and realized that it was the sound of his own body hitting the wall.

He tried to reason with Gabe but the larger man had cut of his air supply.

"Are you trying to finish what your father started??? Are you??!!! You bastard! Why couldn't you stay away from her!!!?" Gabe ranted, still holding him up against the wall. The room was starting to get blurry. Lex pried at Gabe's arms, trying to get air.

It took a minute but the others in the room reacted. Jim Gordon, Ted Dandridge, and Bruce rushed to pull Gabe Sullivan away. All Lex could see were blurry shapes and all he could hear were frantic voices trying to reason with Gabe. Finally, the grip on his neck lessened as the three other men were able to pull Gabe away. Lex slid down to the floor gasping for air. The others moved Gabe across the room and sat him in a chair.

Still on his knees and breathing deeply to bring oxygen into his lungs, Lex looked up towards the figure in the doorway. Danny Peña stood with his hands in his pockets, an unmistakable smirk on his face.

End chapter.


	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_Gotham City Police Headquarters …_

After helping Jim Gordon and Ted Dandridge get Gabe Sullivan away from Lex, Bruce turned back to his friend to make sure he was okay. That's when he saw Danny in the doorway and the reasons for Gabe's outburst became clear. Bruce remembered Danny from seeing him with Chloe at Wayne Enterprises during the investigation. The words "loyal puppy dog" sprang to mind. Danny Peña had a crush, a large one, on Chloe Sullivan. Which meant he didn't like Lex very much. And he had just used the twenty minute ride from the airport to poison Gabe Sullivan's already distraught mind against Lex.

Wonderful. As if they needed one more thing to deal with right now.

Lex stood up. Slowly. Eyes on Danny the whole time. He didn't the dust from his suit nor touch his bruised eye. He just stood up. Watching Danny.

Bruce realized that taking a swing at Danny right now was not Lex's style, no matter how upset about Chloe he was. But Lex was angry. Beyond angry. That was one of the great paradoxes about Lex Luthor. The angrier he was, the calmer he looked.

"I'm sure you enjoyed that, Danny. However, I don't have time for petty, jealous games with you. I actually care about finding Chloe." Lex told him.

"I never said I didn't care about her, I just thought that her father should know about you ---!"

Ted Dandridge interrupted. "Zip it, Danny. You've said enough."

"But---!"

"I said zip it or I'll have one of Gordon's officers throw your ass out of here! We don't need this right now!"

Danny clamped his mouth shut.

Ted then took a seat next to Gabe Sullivan who was sitting staring at his hands.

"Mr. Sullivan, I'm Ted Dandridge. We spoke on the telephone. I'm CJ's boss at Allied Insurance."

Gabe looked up. "CJ?"

"Sorry, it's nickname of sorts. She's been using it since she came to work for us. I think she likes it because it's gender neutral."

Gabe smiled. "That sounds like Chloe."

"Yeah, well… I'm sorry to say that we don't know where she is right now and unfortunately, we haven't made much progress since we last spoke."

"Have you asked _him_?" Gabe looked pointedly at Lex.

James Gordon spoke up. "Mr. Luthor has been very forthcoming with us; he has even offered to assist with the search by hiring additional personnel."

Gabe looked sharply at the officer and Gordon seemed to remember himself.

"I apologize, sir. Captain James Gordon, Gotham City Police. We can't accept any "official" help from Mr. Luthor, but with your permission, and "unofficially, I have to say, I really could use the extra manpower."

Gabe shook Gordon's offered hand, then turned back to glare at Lex, "Why should I accept your help? From what he tells me," He tilted his head towards Danny, "You're the reason Chloe's missing in the first place."

Bruce winced. Danny truly was an idiot.

Lex turned to face Gabe. "Gabe, you have to believe me when I say this. I have nothing to do with Chloe's disappearance. I'm offering you every dime I have to help find her. I know how much she means to you and you should know…she means just as much to me."

"I seriously doubt that, Lex." Gabe replied icily, rising to his feet. "This isn't the first time she's been in danger because of you."

"With respect, Gabe, don't rewrite history. It was my _father_ who tried to hurt her, not me! I kept her alive, I kept you both alive. Does it make any sense for me to hurt her now?"

Gordon interjected. "Sir, we don't believe that Mr. Luthor or Mr. Wayne was involved in your daughter's disappearance at this time."

Gabe's eyes darted back and forth between Lex and Danny. "But he said… he said she was investigating you…"

Ted cut in. "She was, CJ…um, Chloe had been investigating an accident at a company owned by both Mr. Luthor and Mr. Wayne." Ted nodded towards Bruce to indicate who he was. "But the investigation was officially closed a few days ago." Bruce waited for Ted to say more but he didn't. Maybe Chloe's boss really didn't know about her extra-curricular investigative jaunts.

Then Gabe Sullivan turned his bloodshot eyes on him for the first time and Bruce's stomach clenched almost violently. He wasn't ready for the tremendous feeling of guilt that washed over him upon facing the father of the woman currently locked away in the cave beneath his house. Bruce wasn't one to second guess the decisions he made as Batman but this…this was another thing entirely. Gabe was just a father looking out for his daughter. He had no idea what the entire mess was about.

"Mr. Sullivan, I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne? THE Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes, sir."

Gabe looked around in bewilderment. "Just what the hell is going on here? Chloe said she worked for an insurance company. Investigating claims and such. What the hell is she mixed up in with these two…?" he waved at hand in Bruce and Lex's direction, "…and what the hell is this about her carrying a gun?"

"Mr. Sullivan, you probably should sit down."

"Why?"

"Sir, please, let me explain."

At Ted's request, Gabe sat down again, heavily and Ted took a deep breath. "I'm not sure how much CJ told you about her job, but she's a senior investigator for the Fraud division of our company. Her job is to root out fraudulent insurance cases and expose any underlying crimes that might be involved. Sometimes these crimes include arson, burglary, assault and…murder. Her job can be very dangerous. Many of our investigators choose to carry registered weapons for their own protection, including CJ."

"She made it sound like she was chasing paper trails and dealing with people who fake whiplash…that sort of thing. She never mentioned needing to carry a gun."

Ted patted the older man's hand. "She probably didn't want to worry you. The fact is, she's very good at what she does. She's the youngest senior investigator I have, of either gender. She has great instincts. It is a dangerous job, Mr. Sullivan, I won't lie to you, but CJ's been doing this for a while and the worst she's ever gotten was a broken wrist."

"Until now." Gabe pointed out.

Bruce broke in at this point. "We don't know for sure that anything has happened to your daughter, sir. It's still very likely that she's still OK."

Gabe nodded and turned to Jim Gordon. "So what now? What are you doing to find my girl?"

"We have some more of her friends to interview, we're going through her apartment right now for clues…and we have two of our police boats down on the Gotham River…searching…"

Bruce noticed that Gabe's eyes slid closed at Gordon's last remark and his shoulders drooped a bit.

"If there's any thing you can tell us, Mr. Sullivan…even if it seems insignificant…" Gordon prodded.

"The last time I heard from her was a couple of days ago. I had left a message on her voice mail, asking her to call me and let me know she was OK. She called me back, left a message for me saying that….I shouldn't worry so much. That she was fine, just busy with work." Gabe covered his face with his hands.

Ted Dandridge rose up and patted Gabe's shoulder for second before turning to Gordon, "I'll get you that list of her old cases today. I doubt there's anything in there but it's a place to start. We'll talk later." Bruce noticed Ted eyeing him for a moment, as if he was trying to figure him out. Bruce managed to keep his face impassive under the sudden scrutiny. Ted Dandridge was likely just a suspicious man by nature, nothing more.

Ted nodded goodbye at Gordon and Lex and walked towards the door. On his way out, he casually grabbed Danny by his shirt collar and yanked him towards the door.

"Ted! What--!"

"Not another word until I say so, Danny. You've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do…"

The door slammed behind them as they left, or rather, as Ted dragged Danny out the door and out through the squad room.

Bruce turned to Lex to see if his friend had at least enjoyed that particular scene but Lex didn't seem to be paying attention. He was fixated on Gabe Sullivan.

"Gabe?"

"What?"

"I can hire some more investigators…get some more people out there looking for her. The more people we have, the sooner we'll find her…" Lex began.

Gabe lowered his hands from his eyes. "Do it. But don't think that this means I trust you. It just means I want my daughter back."

* * *

_Batcave…later that evening…._

Bruce descended into the Batcave that evening while still getting into his "evening attire." His Kevlar tunic was fastened but his utility belt, cape and cowl were slung over his shoulder. He knew that Leslie was still in the infirmary doing her evening check on the Chloe's condition as well as bringing her a late dinner. For obvious reasons, they needed to keep Alfred out of the cave while their guest was down there. Not that Alfred minded much. He had made a wry comment about having to 'manage without his rodent friends in the cave' for a few days and 'muddling through.'

Leslie offered to help with the more personal aspects of Chloe's care, such as providing clothing and other items. Though he would not admit it, this was a relief to Bruce. He would not have wanted to have a 'what size bra do you wear' conversation with Chloe Sullivan, mask or no mask.

Bruce fastened his utility belt and went over in his head what he was about to do. He owed her an explanation. As maddening as the woman could be, she still deserved to know why she was there.

He attached his cape and cowl but had not pulled the headpiece over his head when he heard the door to the infirmary open and shut. It was Leslie.

She stepped out carrying sheets and what appeared to be the clothing he had "loaned" to Chloe when they got her back to the cave the previous night.

"How is she?"

"Much better now that she's had a shower. Her ribs are still bruised but the effects of the concussion are fading. Mostly, I think she's just bored and frustrated about the situation."

Bruce nodded. "I met her father today. At the police station."

Leslie removed her mask and raised an eyebrow at him. "I imagine he's very distraught over not knowing where she is. Didn't you say she was an only child?"

Bruce frowned. "You don't have to look at me like that, Leslie. She can't leave. Not yet."

"I didn't say a word."

"You didn't have to; the look on your face… Leslie, this is what I do, you know that. You said you would support me."

"I do support you, I've done it since your parents died and I'll do it until the final breath leaves this old body of mine. I understand why you need to do this. You help people; that's what it boils down to, right? Well, _my_ job is to remind out that there are many ways of helping people, even the ways that don't seem logical to you. Don't miss the forest for the trees, Bruce."

Bruce pulled his cowl over his face. "I don't intend to." He made the necessary adjustments to his posture and took a step back from Leslie. Effectively ending that conversation. "She's awake?" he asked.

Leslie nodded. "Eating dinner. I guess I'll see you both tomorrow?"

Batman nodded once. Saying goodbye, thank you, and a host of other things in a single nod.

She smiled. "Be well, dear."

When she was gone, he took a deep breath before walking towards the infirmary. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

_Batcave infirmary…_

Chloe, looked up her dinner tray when she heard the door. She hadn't been really eating anyway. The food on the tray was well-prepared but she just hadn't worked up much of an appetite just sitting around all day.

She felt more like herself in clean, better fitting clothes but she still felt nervous when she heard the door open because she had it feeling it would not be the friendly, masked doctor but rather, the less friendly masked vigilante who had brought her here.

She was right.

He didn't greet her or ask her how she was. He simply appeared beside the curtain in all his caped and cowled glory, and all but growled at her in his gravelly voice. "We need to talk."

He was joking, right? He actually thought he could sweep into a room and say things like that? Chloe set down her tray and sat up straighter on the bed. "Well, yippy-skippy. Thank you for stopping by my humble cell. I'd _love_ to talk. Would you like to start with why the hell you're holding me prisoner or perhaps go back a bit further and tell me who you broke into my apartment twice, the second time to man-handle me?"

"I did not 'man-handle' you."

"Fine, Bat-handle. Whatever. You pushed me up against the wall of my apartment and threatened me."

"I was warning you."

"What the hell's the difference? Oh and you owe me for that MP3 player, by the way. Where's your bat-checkbook?"

"Can you focus here, just for a minute?" he growled at her.

"Pardon me! Being kidnapped is one of my pet peeves. I can't help if it makes me cranky!"

"I did not kidnap you!" She opened her mouth to respond but he held up a gloved finger. "Or 'bat-nap' and please refrain from referring to everything I do or have with that prefix."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. By the way, what was that thing you used to break my MP3 player anyway?"

"A bat-a-rang," he replied automatically, then frowned. "Stop it!"

Chloe bit back a grin. Under the mask and Kevlar, this guy was human after all. She hadn't been sure how to deal with him as mythical urban legend. But as a guy in a cape, he was much more manageable.

She crossed her arms, "Okay, you wanted to talk, and I'm all ears…" she then deliberately looked up at the two points protruding from the top if his cowl.

Batman glared at her but didn't react otherwise. She was beginning to wonder if he only had two facial expressions: About to Frown and Actually Frowning.

"Follow me," he answered suddenly and spun on his heel, cape swirling. OK, the cape effect was kind of cool.

Chloe snapped to her senses when she realized he was indicating that she should follow him _out of the room._

Sprinting to catch up with his long strides, Chloe stopped short when she reached the doorway.

"What the hell---?"

Just outside her door was a dark tunnel. The walls were sloped, unfinished, and damp. It was almost… cave-like.

She followed Batman down the tunnel, looking back in awe at how the finished, furnished room she had been staying in was tucked so securely away. They reached the end of the tunnel and Chloe gasped.

The tunnel opened out into what could only be described as an enormous cave. The rocky walls sloped up at least two or three stories, maybe more, in places. There were _stalactites _hanging down in areas and rock pillars and formations still in place. It was obviously a naturally formed cave that Batman had converted for his own use. Some artificial lights hung down from the stalactites but the place was still mostly dark and forbidding. Of course, the distant sounds of flapping wings and shrieking coming from recesses of the high ceilings might have had something to do with that.

Bats. Those were actually bats up there. Shit.

Who the hell _was_ this guy? And did he actually live here with all these bats?

Chloe's mouth was hanging open, mostly in disbelief as her eyes ran over the enormous…room? No, room wasn't the right word. _Complex_ was a better word.

In the middle of the natural cave walls and rock formations, Batman had erected what appeared to be the very latest technology in a variety of disciplines. Off to her right was some kind of scientific lab, with microscopes, test tubes, centrifuges and a host of other machines Chloe didn't recognize but that looked like they belonged in a university chemistry lab. Or crime lab. Maybe both. Nearby there was a large projection screen displaying a map of Gotham City and the surrounding areas. Multicolored light points flashed at various points on the map and after watching it a minute, Chloe realized that the map must be synced in with the city's emergency services center. That made sense given what she knew about Batman's ability to just show up when he was needed.

Off to her left, she noticed more short tunnels and she wondered if they led to more finished rooms like the one she had been staying in.

Further to her left there was a long stone ramp sloping downward and into the darkness. Though it was dark, Chloe thought she could make out the outline of a vehicle, or perhaps more than one vehicle, parked there.

Turning her attention back to Batman, she noted that he had moved to the wall at the center of this room and was now standing in front of a giant computer console with multiple screens, multiple keyboards, and controls. It was a stylized version of most of the security centers she had seen in museums, casinos and other such places, though Batman's seemed more highly advanced. She looked at the images flashing on the screens and noted that many were live images of public streets in and around Gotham. Others were live feeds from various cable news stations, and still other screens appeared to be computer screens.

"You built all of this?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"But why? Why do you need all of this stuff?"

"Gotham City is my responsibility. I use the information I gather here and around the city to root out the criminals who prey on the people who live here. This city needs more protection than the police can offer."

Chloe blinked. "So you _are_ a vigilante."

"That's what some call it."

"But…how do you afford all of this? How did you get it all down here?"

"Not your concern." Batman took a seat in the large chair and punched a few keys on the nearest keyboard.

"And where exactly are we?"

"Near Gotham. That's all I can tell you. For obvious reasons I would prefer not to give you the exact location. When you leave, I don't want you to be able to come back nor lead anyone back here."

"You're letting me leave?"

"Eventually, yes. I told you, you're not a prisoner here. You're here for your own safety."

"You keep saying that, but, look at it from my point of view, I'm in freaky-ass techno cave with a guy in a mask. I really don't feel all that safe."

"The men you were following need to believe you are dead. If they don't, they might either kill you…or worse."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up. "Ummm, maybe I'm being self centered here but what's worse than killing me? That sounds bad enough to me."

"I agree. Despite rumors to the contrary, I do not condone killing. However, if the men you were following are allowed to complete their assignment, many more people could die. That, Miss Sullivan, is why I instructed you to stay out of this matter. This issue is larger than you, larger than me, larger than a simple insurance policy."

"You make it sound like it's some kind of global conspiracy." Chloe breathed.

Batman only stared at her.

"Shit, it _is_ some kind of global conspiracy, isn't it?"

"Not quite…but close"

"I need to sit down."

Batman motioned to a nearby chair and Chloe pulled it over to the console and sank into it.

"I think you need to start at the beginning here, um…what should I call you?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Do you have a name, a real one, I mean?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"No."

"Ever?"

"No."

"Well, I'm glad we got that cleared up." Chloe sighed. "Just give me the whole global conspiracy thing, then, and not the Cliff's Notes version, either. I've got the time to hear whole thing."

Batman spoke. His voice was still low and gravelly, but it was not as harsh as it had been in their previous encounters.

"A little less than a year ago, the Pentagon issued a warning to defense contractors about security. They did so because they had noticed that the plans for a number of secret military weapons projects, some of them still under development and still very classified, were showing up for sale on the black market."

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "What, you get little email alerts whenever the Pentagon issues warnings?"

"Ms. Sullivan, even I admit that I can't work completely alone. Though Gotham is my primary responsibility, I realize that it doesn't exist in a vacuum. Therefore I communicate with others like me around the world on a regular basis. That's how I received the warning."

"Others like you. There are other Batmen?"

"No. Batman is a singular identity. There are other…vigilantes, as you call them."

"How many? Where?"

"Not your concern."

Chloe rolled her eyes. She should have expected that answer. "Right. OK, so military weapons plans are popping up on the black market. Who's buying them?"

"Anyone with a few hundred million in U.S. dollars to spare, good contacts, and a partiality to the very latest in weapons of mass destruction."

Chloe blinked at him. "And that would be?"

"Foreign governments, extremist organizations here and abroad, even rival contractors looking to steal technological advances from a competitor. Could be anyone. The point is, the Pentagon was concerned that lax security at its various contractors was resulting on these plans finding their way onto the black market. It doesn't do well for American PR to have this kind of technology out there where it can be used against our troops or on civilian populations."

"Obviously, but I don't see what this has to do with those two guys who tried to drown me."

"Mills and Kline were plants. Two computer experts hired to infiltrate LW Tech and steal the military robotic technology and pass it along so it could be sold to the highest bidder."

"Wait, wait...how do you know that?"

"Because they've done this sort of thing before. For other companies. They're corporate spies by trade, known throughout the darker side of the corporate world. If you need to find damaging information about a competitor, need to sabotage their computer systems, delay their production scedule for months or even years, these are the guys you hire. Obviously they are known by aliases but people who need this kind of work done; generally know how to find them."

"So they're working for a competitor of LW Tech?"

"No, this time, someone else hired them."

"Who?"

"That's what we're trying to find out. That's why when I discovered they were working for LW Tech, they weren't immediately fired or arrested."

Chloe held up her hands, "Slow down, how did you find out they were working for Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor's company?"

"I knew that there was a chance that LW Tech would be building military weapons, so when the warning from the Pentagon came out, I double checked their employee lists and found these two men."

"How could you know that LW Tech might be building military weapons? That's hardly public knowledge. Lex Luthor kept that a secret for a long time; he didn't even tell Bruce Wayne."

Batman smirked. "Miss Sullivan _you_ don't confine yourself to information that's public knowledge, why would you believe that I would? If someone is building military weapons in my city or even thinking about it, I make it my business."

"OK, but that doesn't explain why you didn't just tell Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor that they had spies working for them."

"I did."

"You did?"

"Not directly, I prefer the keep the circle of people I deal directly with…very small. I informed Captain Gordon, whom I trust. He informed the local office of the FBI, who informed Luthor and Wayne. I haven't had any contact with either of them."

"O-kay…so what happened? Why didn't _they_ just arrest Mills and Kline then?"

"Because by then it was clear that Mills and Kline shouldn't be the priority, it was imperative that we go after who they were working for."

"Why? Well, other than the fact that you typically want to get the 'head bad guy' in these things, why is it so important this time?"

"Follow the timeline. LW Tech was formed about a year ago, three months into the project, Lex Luthor sent preliminary plans for military robots to a contact of his in the Defense Department. Mills and Kline were hired about two months after that. No one outside of a select few at LW Tech and the Defense Department even knew that Luthor was considering military applications, he hadn't even told Wayne. None of Luthor's staff could have done it, I checked. None of them have the connections. So the person that hired Mills and Kline to steal those plans could only have come from one place."

Realization dawned on Chloe. "The Defense Department itself? Are you kidding? Someone inside the Defense Department is selling these secrets on the black market? Like a spy?"

"It's likely that this person sees himself as an opportunist but yes. It's the ultimate irony, though. The Pentagon warns companies about security but they forget to check themselves."

"OK, I think I'm with you so far. When Lex sent his offer to the Defense Department to build military robots for them, someone there, a mole, if you will, decided to send Mills and Kline in to steal the plans so they could sell them. I got that part; but I still have one question. Who blew up the damn plant?"

"I did."

End Chapter.


	21. Chapter 19

_**This rest of this story will be posted very soon. Thanks for all the great FB. -NBG**_

**Chapter 19**

_Batcave… _

Batman watched as Chloe Sullivan sprang to her feet.

"_You _blew up the plant? Why?"

"To buy us some time. Mills and Kline were given a specific objective: obtain completed plans for all military robots currently under development and get out. The problem was, the FBI was dragging its feet on its investigation on who the mole was. I figured that at the rate they were going, Mills and Kline would have all the information they were told to steal and they would be gone for good in a matter of days. We needed a way to shut down production in the plant and their access to it, without arousing suspicion. The solution was to blow up the main plant and make it look like an accident. By the time we got everything back online, the FBI would have a better idea of who the target was and could set up a sting and catch everyone involved and have the proof to back it up. The FBI agreed. We selected a time and date, emptied the plant and I went in and set up untraceable charges around the HVAC units."

"You're telling me that Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne agreed to have their plant blown to smithereens for God and country? They worked over a year on this project. That doesn't make any sense."

"It was made clear to them what was a stake here, Miss Sullivan. And they were assured that they'd be compensated for the loss of the plant. And they were; only the compensation had to look like an insurance claim. They were compensated fully and fairly. The government looks at that sum as small price to pay to achieve this particular objective. "

Chloe smacked her forehead and she sank into her chair again. "Of course, the money that came from the Treasury Department! Filtered through Allied to make it look like we paid it! That's why Allied was dragging its feet on the investigation and that's why they pulled me out before I could finish. They knew there was nothing to investigate, they were just cooperating with a government request, weren't they?"

"Yes, the only people who didn't cooperate were you and your boss because no one thought to tell you two and by the time they realized, you were already inside, tearing up the place. You work fast, Ms. Sullivan."

Chloe smiled faintly, then something seemed to dawn on her once again. "Did Bruce and Lex get anything else out of this deal?"

"Besides the gratitude of their government for their role in helping catch an enemy of the state?"

"Yes, besides that."

"You think very highly of them." Batman said dryly.

"It's not that, I just know them and I think they would negotiate for something more."

Batman chose his words carefully. "I don't think Bruce Wayne requested anything specific, just the restitution for the plant losses."

"And Lex?"

"Luthor wanted a contract. Long-term, to produce military robots for the Pentagon, once everything was proven to be secure again. That's what he asked for."

"That sounds like Lex. His legacy…" she murmured

Batman turned back to his console, confident that he had told her enough to quiet her for a while.

"Wait!" she exclaimed.

"What!"

"What now, I just sit here?"

"You can go back to the infirmary if you like."

"Go back to the…infirmary?" Chloe wrinkled her nose. "Is that that what you call the room I'm staying in?"

"Yes. My work is dangerous, sometimes I get injured. I need an infirmary."

"O-kay…anyway, I meant, what happens next? I just stay down here until you catch this spy guy, letting everyone think I'm dead?"

"You need to be presumed dead, Miss Sullivan or Mills, Kline and their boss might abort the whole operation and we'll never catch them. You showing up at the docks spooked them. They thought you were FBI or CIA at first. They're laying low for a while, trying to make sure that no one else is tailing them. I've been monitoring them. I believe they plan to set up a meet with their employer here in town within the next few days. When they do, I'll be there and so will the FBI. In the meantime, yes, you need to stay here."

Chloe slumped in the chair. "My father, my friends, Ted…Lex…do they really think I'm dead?"

Batman frowned as he remembered Gabe Sullivan sitting in the dank, grey room of the precinct. Remembered Gabe's reaction to Gordon's comment on the police boats searching the river. Remembered Lex's reaction to the same comment.

"You're presumed missing right now. They found your gun by the docks and Gordon has started a search. It's unlikely that the official search will go on for more than a day or so."

"Official? There's an 'unofficial' one?"

"Luthor."

"Oh…right." Batman looked at the young woman with carefully hidden surprise as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She was so loud, so in your face all the time, crying didn't seem like something she would allow herself to do, particularly not in front of anyone else.

"Is he okay?"

"He's worried. As is your father."

"My father's in town?"

"Dandridge called him."

"Damn," Chloe rubbed the tears away and bit her lip. Batman decided that she looked much younger when she made that face. "I can't believe he has to go through this again. The stress, it can't be good for him."

"Again?"

She gave an ironic laugh. "I wasn't exactly an easy kid to raise. I kept disappearing, getting kidnapped, dying every now and again… My dad raised me by himself… I'm sure he's just SO tired of this by now… He's probably worried sick and there's nothing I can do about it."

Batman studied Chloe for another few seconds before making a decision. Once it was made, there was no turning back.

He rose to his feet and extended a gloved hand to her.

She looked up at him quizzically, then at his hand, and then right into the eye slits of his cowl.

It was unnerving when she did that.

She took his hand at last and he led her to another seat, up against the stone wall on the other side of the console. Gently, he urged her to sit down and then he tapped some buttons on the console in front of her.

He then pointed to a small round lens that was at eye level with her. "Look right here. You can say whatever you want to say; say you're with me if you want. Tell them you're safe and you'll be back when this is over."

Chloe looked at him with wide eyes. "Really? But how….?"

"None of your concern," he replied. But it sounded too harsh, even for him, so he added. "I'll take care of it. Go ahead."

* * *

_Gotham Police HQ…later that night…_

Captain James Gordon was wrapping up a few more items on his desk before heading home for the night when he heard a rap at his door.

It was Gabe Sullivan.

Gordon was on his feet at once. "Mr. Sullivan! I thought you had left for the night. Come in, sit down."

Gabe stepped inside tentatively, jacket in hand. "Sorry to interrupt, Captain. I did leave… I did go back to my hotel but…I just couldn't sit there staring at the four walls wondering where she was. I went out for a walk and I ended up back here. Did you find anything new? Anything?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid not. We're still searching, though. One of my officers of tracking her movements for the past few days to see if there are any clues."

Gabe nodded. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I usually don't lose my temper like that. I guess I was looking for someone to blame."

"It's understandable but I don't think it's me you need to apologize to, sir."

"I know that. I just don't think I can look at him right now."

There was another knock at Gordon's door. This time it was a young female officer, holding a small black cardboard box.

"Captain?" she said. "We found this on the roof, near the signal. It's addressed to you."

Gordon was on his feet again, "Did you scan it?"

"Yes, sir, it doesn't appear to be dangerous. We think it's from…him."

"OK, bring it here, Officer Montoya. Thanks."

She handed him the package and nodded to Gabe Sullivan before leaving.

Gordon carefully slit open package with his letter opener and mini-disc fell out, along with a note, a white card about he size of a postcard.

Gordon quickly scanned the card and looked up at Gabe.

"It says, 'Please give to Gabe Sullivan'."

"Who's it from, is it about Chloe?"

"We'll see." Gordon popped the disc into his computer and waited while it loaded up.

"Dear God in heaven," Gabe swore when Chloe Sullivan's face appeared on the screen.

She was pale and there was a bandage on her forehead. Other than that, she appeared unharmed. She was in front of some kind of rock wall; there were no other features around her to help them determine where she was.

Her voice was strong and clear though.

"Hi, Dad. It's me. I'm OK. I just need you to know that. There's a lot I can't tell you but I will be home soon…"

* * *

_Lex Luthor's Metropolis Apartment…later that night…_

Batman touched down on the balcony outside Lex's apartment, half expecting someone to notice him instantly. Lex normally had some kind of security in place in all of his homes, human or electronic, just in case. It had been a while since anyone had tried to kill Lex but that didn't make him any less paranoid.

No alarm sounded and Batman realized that Lex may have simply forgotten to arm it, his mind was otherwise occupied. Through the French doors of the balcony, he saw Lex moving around his living room.

Batman pushed lightly on the door, finding it somewhat ajar and took a closer look at Lex.

Lex looked…focused. He was rumpled, to be sure, but not overly so. There was probably something in the Luthor DNA that prevented him from crossing the line to disheveled. His jacket and tie were gone, his sleeves undone. He didn't look tired, however. In fact, he looked almost…wired. Driven. As if he had not been able to spare the time to drink coffee and had simply injected it into his veins.

His back to the balcony, Lex smoothed down the map spread on his coffee table and switched his phone to his other ear, listening intently to the voice coming through. Listening, but disagreeing.

"No, no. I don't agree, I think you need to stay near the area where we found her car. She would not have wanted to be that far from her car in case she needed to get away in hurry." With his free hand, he traced a path along the shore of the river on his map. "Fan out down the docks and five blocks inland but don't go past South Street. I don't think she would have gone that far…I know, I just don't want to waste time on these alleyways while she could be…in the water somewhere…."

At last, Lex seemed to sense someone watching him, Batman noticed. The way he held his shoulders changed. It was a minute change but it was there. Batman put his hand to his belt.

In the blink of an eye, Lex had dropped the phone, reached under the table and spun around, handgun trained on his intruder.

He looked startled to see the masked figure in his doorway but he didn't flinch or lower his gun.

"Stay back," Lex warned, cocking the weapon. "I don't know why you're here but I'm warning you to stay back."

Batman appreciated his friend's instincts but this was not the time for posturing.

Managing to move only his hand, he flicked a bat-a-rang in Lex's direction before the other man could even think of squeezing the trigger. Lex's gun fell from his hands and skidded across the floor.

Lex squeezed his stung hand and took a step back as Batman moved further inside. "What the hell---?"

"Now we can talk," he told Lex.

"I'm here to deliver a message to you, Luthor."

"A message from whom?"

Batman paused. Would Lex even believe him?

"Chloe Sullivan."

"She's alive," he said, rather than asked. "Where is she?"

Batman pulled another black package from under his cape and handed it to Lex, who eyed the package for a second before ripping into it, obviously deciding that whatever risk existed was outweighed by the need to know.

The mini disc and card fell out of the package onto the table and Lex immediately reached for the note.

Batman knew what it said. He had anticipated that Lex might not believe him so he had asked her to write something in the note that only she would know. When she was done the note read:

_Lex- Listen to what he has to say. Believe him when he says that he didn't hurt me. I'm fine. I just need to stay hidden for a while. I wish there was another way to contact you but I'm fresh out of black cell phones. Just watch the disc. Chloe._

Lex raised his eyes to Batman's. "She's OK? She's with you? Where?"

"You can't know that. She's fine, just bruised. She kept at the case even after it was shut down. Found Mills and Kline and tried to follow them. There was a scuffle on the docks and they threw her in the river."

Lex nodded, accepting this as explanation, and then he seemed to realize something. "You dragged her out of the river. You saved her?"

Batman didn't answer. He didn't think he needed to.

"I owe you…a great deal for saving her…" Lex said haltingly.

"You owe me only this: for appearances sake, keep up the search for the next few days. Even after the Gotham Police shut theirs down. This city cannot afford to search for a phantom but you can. Keep up the guise that she's missing and the people we are after should continue as planned but it's important that they believe she is dead. When this is over, I'll bring her back."

Lex nodded and crossed the room to his laptop and slipped in the disc.

Chloe's face appeared on the screen in a few seconds.

"Hi Lex. It's me. I hear you're tearing apart Gotham looking for me. I appreciate that. I'm OK. Batman's even had a doctor come care for me while I'm here. He's not the greatest conversationalist in the world but he's OK. My room's not as nice as the one you set up for me but I guess I can't have everything, right?"

She paused here and rubbed at the bandage on her forehead. Lex leaned forward and touched the screen in the same spot.

Inexplicably, Chloe must have realized that she called attention to the wound. "Oh yeah, this. Don't worry about it; me and some of the dock planks had words. You should see _them_. The doctor says I'll be fine."

Batman watched Lex and the image on the screen in fascination. It was a recorded message yet Chloe had known exactly how Lex would react. They might as well have been talking live.

He backed towards the French doors, preparing to fade into the night while Lex's attention was elsewhere. But he paused to observe more as Lex watched the rest of the message.

"I know the whole story now, about why the plant blew up and everything that's involved. I wish you could have told me but I understand why you didn't. I guess we were both right; there are things more important than money. We have a lot to talk about when I get back. And we will, I promise. Just promise me you'll leave some of Gotham standing now that you know I'm OK?"

Batman turned swiftly on his heel and retreated to the balcony. He shot out a line and leapt off into the night.

Leslie was right. There were different ways of helping people.

End chapter.


	22. Chapter 20

_**Um...I really can't explain this chapter...at all. You just have to read it. :)  
**_

**Chapter 20**

_Batcave…two days later…_

"So…is there a Mrs. Batman?"

"…"

"Girlfriend?"

"…"

"Kids?"

"…"

"Who takes care of this place? Do you do it all by yourself?"

"…"

"Where do you go when you're not here? Do you have a day job or something?"

"…"

"Why bats? Why not something else like…I dunno, spiders? They're pretty scary."

"…"

"Or sharks…sharks are very scary."

"Miss Sullivan, do not assume that just because you are speaking and I am not that I am actually listening to what you say. I am trained in nearly a dozen different martial arts, most of which have taught me various techniques for drowning out annoying distractions."

"…"

"…"

"Where'd you get the costume, did you make it yourself?"

Batman slammed a gloved hand down on the console in front of him, but Chloe didn't flinch. She merely bit back a smile.

"Listen, when I granted your request to leave the infirmary, I thought you understood that you were not to disturb me, touch anything…"

Chloe opened her mouth to speak.

Batman held up his hand. "Or _interview_ me!"

She was standing right behind him at his giant 'bat-computer' as she called it, although not out loud. He still seemed to have a problem with her adding the 'bat' prefix to all of his toys. She couldn't help it, though. What _else_ was she supposed to call his stuff?

She had been pacing behind him, asking questions for a quarter of an hour at least. She hoped that her irritating questions would get a rise of out him, at least enough for him to let her help him with whatever he was doing. If she had to spend another day in the cave doing nothing but reading and sitting around, she was going to go…well…never mind.

Chloe crossed her arms in front of her chest. "First of all, you keep saying that I am not a prisoner here, right? Well, I can't help but feel like one if you keep me locked up in that room all day and night. Second of all, you told me not to touch anything and to stay in this part of the cave with you at all times; what else am I supposed to do if I can't talk to you?"

"Sit down and be quiet!" bellowed Batman, "Or is that too much to ask?"

Chloe frowned as Batman went back to reading the police alerts coming over one of his screens. He also seemed to be tracking something on one of the other screens but she couldn't tell what it was.

"I don't suppose I could---?"

"NO!"

"I didn't even get to finish my question. How could you answer no without hearing my request?"

"You request was going to be that you do something other than sitting down and being quiet. The answer was simple."

Chloe rounded the enormous black chair and leaned her hips against the console, mere inches from where Batman was trying to work. He looked up with his now-familiar scowl.

"I was just going to offer my services as an investigator. I'm pretty good, you know. Even you have to admit that," she told him.

"I work alone." He pounded on some more keys, probably to make his point.

"Not true. You work with Gordon and other people you trust. You said so yourself."

"I don't require your help and I didn't ask for it."

"You don't need to ask, I'm offering." She grinned as she shrugged her shoulders. "You're in luck. My calendar's free, what with being dead and all."

"I work with people I trust and respect." Batman replied gruffly, rising from the console. He adjusted something on his belt before walking away.

"You can't trust me?"

"Your judgment in certain matters is…questionable."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You aligned yourself with a murderer while still in high school…"

"You don't know any of the details about that, and furthermore, if it weren't for me, the bastard never would have gone to jail!"

"And do I even need to bring up your relationship with Lex Luthor? And in the middle of your own investigation no less?"

Chloe scowled at the larger, black-clad figure. She wanted to scream and yell and slap him. Instead she said, "It must be really easy to judge someone while wearing a mask."

Batman said nothing but Chloe forged on. "It isn't fair that you can just stand there being all sanctimonious about the decisions I make when I don't even know who the hell you are. You could be anyone under that mask."

"Who I am doesn't matter. The fact is, I do not need or want your help."

"Maybe I _want_ to help. Maybe I think it's my duty to help after everything that's happened."

Batman did not answer right away and Chloe thought she could feel his eyes boring into hers during the silence.

"Redeem yourself on your own time, not mine," he said, spinning on his heel and disappearing into one of the rooms that she wasn't "allowed" into, cape swirling around him in a way that had really ceased to be cool.

Turning away from him in frustration, Chloe's gaze fell on one of the screens on his computer console. The screen Batman had been monitoring, the one tracking something other than the police alerts was now flashing. Something, or someone, was now moving through what Chloe realized as a GPS-generated image of Gotham City. She recognized the unique grid pattern of the streets in lower Gotham.

"Batman! The red flashy-thing you've been tracking is heading south! It looks like it's heading into the Narrows," she called out, more out of politeness than anything else. "Thought you'd like to know!"

She heard Batman's swift steps coming closer as he returned. He gazed at the screen for ten seconds before hitting something on his belt. Whatever he hit caused an engine somewhere in the cave to rev up so Chloe surmised it must be a remote starter for his…bat-car?

"What's the red flashy thing?" she asked quickly, sensing he was about the bolt.

"Go back to the infirmary."

"No, what's the red flashy thing?"

"Miss Sullivan, go back to the infirmary right now!" his voice was low and dangerous but Chloe didn't care.

"Not until you tell me what the red flashy thing is!" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "It's about those two guys, right? It's Mills and Kline. You're tracking them…?"

Without another word, Batman placed his hands at her sides and lifted her straight up into the air. She yelped at the pain his contact with her bruised ribs caused and he immediately shifted his grip down to her waist but did not put her down. Instead, he strode out of the main room, down the hallway, and into the infirmary.

Chloe literally kicked and screamed all the way. She wasn't quite sure what she called him but she knew the words "pompous" and "pointy-eared rodent" were involved.

Batman set her down in the center of the room and pointed a gloved finger menacingly at her.

"I am only going to say this once. You are not my partner, not my assistant, and not my friend. You are to stand in this spot until I get back. Don't sit, don't lay down, don't move."

Without waiting for her response, he stomped out of the room and slammed the infirmary door, the banging of which caused Chloe to flinch slightly.

She waited.

Ten seconds.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Forty-five.

Then she heard the sound of a motor revving in the distance, then fading away.

She smiled.

She should not have been able to hear that.

After all, both the infirmary door and walls were soundproof.

That meant one thing.

Her plan had worked. The door wasn't locked. He had slammed the door but it had not locked.

Maybe it had something to do with the giant wad of toothpaste she had jammed in the strike-plate the last time Batman let her out.

Now she was alone. And free. In the batcave.

Time to play.

* * *

_Lex's Metropolis apartment…later that evening…_

Lex opened the front door to his apartment and gestured for Gabe Sullivan to enter. He had been surprised when his doorman buzzed him a few minutes earlier and told him that Gabe was in his lobby. He didn't want to make assumptions about what Gabe was there to say to him so he prepared himself for whichever version of Gabe might step through his door.

The fact that Gabe had his hands stuffed into his pants pockets and not swinging at Lex's head as before was a good sign, though.

Letting the door slam behind him, he followed Gabe into the living room. The older man was standing in the center of the room, his eyes skimming over the expensive furnishings. He made no move to sit down or even touch anything.

"So…" began Gabe, when Lex was in front of him.

"So."

"You...uh…heard from this Batman person, too?"

"Yes, he came here last night with a message from Chloe."

Gabe nodded. "Gordon says this Bat-guy is OK; that she's safe with him."

"I suppose Captain Gordon knows him better than anyone else." Lex replied. "She seemed healthy in the video. It didn't look like she was under any duress."

"Yeah…still. How much can you trust a guy dressed up like a six-foot bat?"

Lex didn't have anything to say to that. He had been trying not to think about that part too much; instead focusing on the part about Chloe being alive.

"It's a strange town." Lex said finally.

"That's why I didn't want her to live here. It's too dangerous for her here."

Lex didn't think that now was a good time to point out that, per capita, Smallville's crime rate would have made Gotham look like the English countryside. Or that Chloe Sullivan could likely find danger in a paper bag if she put her mind to it. That's just the way she was.

Nope. Not the right time.

"I know what you're thinking," grumbled Gabe.

"Excuse me?" Lex asked.

"Go ahead, say it. You're thinking it… You're thinking that Chloe could get into trouble just about anywhere. That she's just drawn to this kind of stuff. Whether she's a reporter, an insurance investigator, or whatever."

"I didn't say that…"

"You were thinking it…" Gabe sighed. "And you're right. Chloe sees life as one big puzzle that she has to solve, no matter how dangerous it gets. I guess I was fooling myself when I thought that her not becoming a reporter would mean she'd stay out of harm's way."

Once again, Lex didn't know what to say. Gabe's assessment of his daughter was certainly valid. Chloe not being a reporter was still a decision he wasn't clear about but from what he knew about her current job, the idea of her sitting behind a computer everyday writing articles was looking better and better. Her job sounded way too dangerous for his comfort level. She couldn't always rely on a passing Bat to pluck her from a freezing river.

Hell, the slap he would get if he said this out loud to her, though. One corner of Lex's mouth threatened to curl up as he imagined the look on her face.

Gabe cleared his throat, pulling Lex from his brief reverie. "I was also fooling myself when I lost my temper with you yesterday."

"Gabe…"

"Look, I came all the way over here; let me say this, alright?"

Lex shut his mouth.

"When that other guy, that Danny who works with her, told me that you were involved, it was easy to blame you for everything. Frankly, it was just easier to focus all my anger at you than to sit around thinking about all the things that could have happened to her. I said some pretty bad things yesterday, Lex. Things you didn't deserve. Now that my head is cooler and I know she's OK, I want to apologize."

"Gabe, really…you don't need to apologize. I understand what you were going through and why you said what you did. You were just reacting to the things Danny said to you. He seems to have some feelings for Chloe that she doesn't return."

Gabe nodded, "But he wasn't _lying_, was he? There is something between you and Chloe?"

Lex knew he had to tread lightly here. How was he supposed to tell Gabe that he had slept with his daughter (several times), lied to her about her investigation, fought with her and still had no idea if their relationship had any future?

"I don't know what Danny told you but Chloe and I have some things to talk about when she gets back. That's all I can say."

"Does this have anything to do with why she left Smallville so abruptly?"

"What are you really asking me, Gabe?"

Gabe sat down heavily on a nearby sofa. "Do I need to say it?"

"There was nothing inappropriate going on between Chloe and I before she left. We were friends, although by the time she left, we weren't very close." Lex replied, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Her leaving was just as much of a shock to me as it was to everyone else. In fact it was days before I even knew she had left."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because there's no reason for me to lie to you. Chloe's a grown woman now, she makes her own choices, whether either of us likes it or not."

"So what exactly happened here? Danny said Chloe was investigating at an explosion at some factory that you own?"

"It's actually a joint venture between Bruce Wayne and I, but…look, it's really complicated. Chloe wasn't supposed to get in the middle of it..."

"But she did, and now she's holed up God knows where with some guy who swings from buildings and dresses like a bat."

Lex swallowed. "It will all be over soon, trust me."

Gabe raised an eyebrow at him.

"Fine, if you can't trust me, trust your daughter. She knows as much about this as I do now and I'm sure she told you it would be over soon."

"I want to trust her, I want to believe that everything is going to be OK, but the fact is…"

"What?" Lex asked.

"She lied to me too."

Lex crossed the room to get Gabe a drink. He was going to need it.

* * *

_Outside the Three Fingers Bar…Gotham Narrows…_

Crouched on the fire escape of a nearby building, Batman watched as Owen Kline waited in the alleyway behind the Three Fingers Bar. Kline didn't look very happy to be in this part of Gotham at this time of night. He also didn't look happy that the person he was meeting, presumably Paul Mills, was late. He tossed the second cigarette he had smoked down onto the ground and stomped it out with his shoe.

Batman had been somewhat surprised when the tracking device he had placed on Kline's car led him to the neighborhood known as the Narrows. The Narrows were Gotham's shame, crime-ridden, mired in poverty; few people entered who didn't work or live there, or need the often-questionable services of those who did. It wasn't a place he'd expect to find white-collar lowlives like Mills and Kline. Under normal circumstances.

Tapping his cowl, he attempted to adjust the frequency on his long range listening device. There was a little more static tonight than he would like.

As he did so, a voice echoed in his ears. "Why is it so quiet? Haven't you found them yet?"

What the f---? Batman nearly fell over the railing of the fire escape upon hearing the voice in his ear. Then he realized who it was. He regained his footing and gripped the railing in anger.

"Chloe? What the hell are you doing?"

"Ummm…helping you? I found this switch on your bat-computer and it turns out, it connects to the listening device in your mask so I can hear what you hear and you can hear me. That's pretty cool. I have to say, I'm impressed, Batman."

"Why were you anywhere near my bat-comp…my computer? Why are you even out of the infirmary? I distinctly remember placing you in there, instructing you not to move, and locking the door."

"Well, turns out you didn't do that last part so well, because the door didn't lock. No biggie. I'm OK; the bats don't bother me as much now." Chloe responded her voice light and tinny over the connection.

He was going to _kill_ her.

He had designed this remote connection between the bat cave and his cowl for Alfred to use in case of an emergency, _not_ so some thrill-seeking busybody like Chloe Sullivan could distract him while he was working.

"If there was any justice in the world, those bats would eat you alive on my command! Get back in the infirmary right now!" Batman whispered harshly keeping one eye on Kline. Luckily, he was still there, obliviously lighting another cigarette.

"Ummm… no. And incidentally, I _chose_ not to hear you when you ordered me not to move mostly because I didn't appreciate being bat-handled by you again."

"Will you stop it with the bat-thing? Damn it! You're distracting me. This isn't a game, Chloe."

"Hey, you called me by my first name. Usually you call me Miss Sullivan. Does that mean you're warming to this idea of me helping you? …Hmmm, I wonder what this button does…?"

"Don't touch…"

"Well, hell-o pictures! Hey are you on a fire escape or something? I can see the railing and your hand. Does this mean I can see whatever you see? Sweet!"

Damn it! She had found switch for the visual connection as well. Now the information from his eye slits would be sent back to her and projected on one of the computer's monitors.

"Chloe, step away from the computer. Don't touch another thing, you hear me? Not a single thing."

"Batman, you might want to pay attention to the party going on below you, I think another guest showed up."

Batman snapped to attention and looked back at Kline. Indeed, Paul Mills was approaching from the other end of the alley.

"See? Told you so. I saw him out of the corner of your eye," quipped Chloe.

"Quiet!"

Batman tapped his cowl to increase the volume on the listening device and leaned in to catch the interaction between Mills and Kline.

Kline: What the hell took you so long? I've been here for nearly half an hour.

Mills: You shoulda picked a better neighborhood for us to meet; you think I know my way around the hellhole? I got lost trying to find this place.

Kline: This wasn't my idea, believe me. It was the boss'. He thought that we should avoid anyplace we'd been before after what happened last time with that crazy bitch. The cops are all over the waterfront looking for her. It wouldn't be smart for us been seen together this late in the game.

Mills: I've been kinda worried about that. Our original contract didn't say anything about killing anybody. This is getting outta hand, do you think? Besides, we don't even know what that lady knew.

Kline: Our contract said to get the job done, anyway we could. Whatever that woman knew, it was too much. (Pause.) We're in a different league now, man. Look at it this way, we should be able to ask for a bonus now for getting rid of her, on top of what we were already going to get paid for this job. Least five thou each.

"Ten thousand dollars! Is that all I'm worth to these jackasses?" Chloe's voice exploded in Batman's ear.

"Be quiet!" he hissed.

Mills: Really? You sure we couldn't ask for more? She did put up a fight.

Kline: I wouldn't push it. This thing is hairy enough without us getting greedy. If nothing else, when word gets out that we killed the bitch, we can ask for more on our next job.

Mills: Alright. I'm cool with that. So what now?

Kline: Final meeting. We hand over the plans, he hands over the money. I got a message that we're supposed to meet him tomorrow night in Robinson Park, midnight. The police should still have their hands full looking for this dead woman so we shouldn't attract too much attention. The sooner we end this, the better. You and I will meet there, afterward, we'll divvy up the cash so we each get our fair share. Got it?

Mills: How sure are we that this guy isn't gonna screw us?

Kline: We don't, but we're in this far. This is too much money for us to pull out now. Besides, I've been looking at this stuff. This is state of the art shit. If he has the connections to unload this, he's gonna have plenty of work for us down the line. We don't want to mess this up.

Mills: Alright. As long as you're right.

Kline: It's not about being right. It's about being smart. Remember that.

"Where'd he get that brilliant platitude? 'Chicken Soup for the Hoodlum Soul'?"

Batman found himself choking back a grin at Chloe's remark until he remembered that she wasn't supposed to be talking. "Quiet!"

"What's the big deal?" she asked. "They're leaving!"

Batman looked down, and Mills was indeed leaving. Kline stayed a few minutes longer to finish his cigarette and then, he too disappeared down the trash-strewn alley.

Batman was silent for a few minutes after they left, as he considered how he should prepare for the now inevitable showdown the following night. It had all come down to this. The explosion, the investigation, everything….it was not something he intended to take lightly…

Batman leapt over the fire escape, landing expertly on the street below. He immediately began sprinting to where he had parked the Batmobile, a narrow dark alley a few hundred yards away.

"So, are you coming back to the cave now?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, though I doubt you should be very happy about that. You'll be lucky if I don't just toss you back in that river where I found you."

"May I remind you, sir, that you're a good guy? You don't do that kind of thing."

"Don't be so sure."

"You're just mad that I outsmarted you. You're supposed to be some brilliant crime fighter and I not only got out of that room, I figured out your bat-computer."

"Will you stop calling it that!!?"

"You know, for a guy who lives in a cave, wears a bat logo on his chest, and tosses around little metal bats as weapons, you seem to have a problem with people actually saying the word around you. Why is that?"

"Chloe…"

"There! You said my name again. I really do think you're warming to the idea of us working together."

"You're insane!"

"You're dressed like a rodent!"

Now back in the driver seat of the Batmobile, Batman punched the steering wheel in frustration. What in the hell had he done to deserve being saddled with this woman?

"Batman...?"

"What!!!?"

"Is there any chance that you're going to pass a Starbucks on your way back the cave?"

End chapter.


	23. Chapter 21

_At some point while I was writing this fic, I was on some pretty strong cold medicine... It was around the time I wrote this chapter. You've been warned. :) _

_-NBG_**  
**

**Chapter 21**

_Batcave…some time later…_

Chloe didn't even look up from the bat-computer when she heard the distant sounds of a car engine echoing through the cave. She simply smiled and kept typing.

After a moment, she heard the car come to a screeching halt a few yards away.

She kept typing.

A car door opened and then slammed with a reverberating thud.

She re-read the commands she had written, then typed some more.

Heavy, measured footsteps sounded against the stone floor of the cave.

The footsteps stopped a few feet from her position at the computer.

Calmly, she executed the program she had just written and leaned back in the chair with a satisfied sigh.

"Just what in Hell do you think you're doing?" growled Batman. His voice boomed off the cavernous walls.

Chloe turned her head to face him. As usual, he looked large and imposing. He was standing with his gloved hands clenched into fists, his feet planted widely apart. His cape, which was typically drawn around his front, was thrown back over one shoulder, revealing how tense his shoulders were under the Kevlar.

Chloe knew she would be pushing it with her next words but she decided to go for it.

"No coffee?"

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

Chloe shrugged. "Oh well, I can't imagine it would have been good for your image to have to wait in line for a grande Sumatra full-caf light with one sugar." Chloe tilted her head to one side and gave him the 'who gives a shit' grin she used to unnerve her colleagues. Come to think of it, she used it as far back as high school. On Clark.

Batman right fist unclenched and clenched.

He didn't say another word and she supposed that his silence was designed to unnerve her. It wouldn't work. Not with her. What Batman clearly didn't realize was that she had spent the last couple of days observing his body language, his behavior, his sparse words and had come to one a single, valuable conclusion.

She didn't need to be afraid of him.

Of course, since fear was his whole gig, so to speak, Batman was not going to be thrilled when he realized this. Which clearly had not happened yet given the way he was currently posturing a few feet away.

Chloe stood up and circled her chair fluidly, bringing herself to a stop directly in his line of sight.

Gesturing over her shoulder at the computer, she asked, "Care to review the improvements I made?"

"I told you not to touch anything!"

"You'll get over it. In the meantime, you need to see what I added…"

"Just who do you think you're dealing with here?" Batman interrupted, stepping closer.

"Someone who is incorrect in thinking they can intimidate me. This may come as a big shock to you, Batman, but I'm not afraid of you. You can glare, frown, scowl, and tower over me all you want but you don't scare me."

Oddly enough, he did none of the things she had just listed. His face remained unresponsive, his lips a thin line. The lenses of his cowl were down over the eye slits, making it impossible for her to read his eyes.

Instead, he circled her, like a predator, expressionless eye slits trained in her direction. Once around her back, only to double back again.

Chloe thought about giving an exaggerated yawn but stopped herself. No need to get that theatrical.

Finally he spoke. "You think this is important to me, you being afraid of me?"

"I think it's _essential_ to you. You couldn't do what you do without fear. You need the people you hunt to think you're some kind of semi-human monster. Unpredictable and unrestrained. You need them to think that at any moment, you'll just snap and start ripping them apart, one limb at a time." She shrugged "Hey, whatever gets you through the night, right? It might do wonders for your reputation and make your job a little bit easier, save the odd criminal who actually does crap his pants before you can turn him over to the police…"

"If you get near a point…"

"Fine, my point is that I have three good reasons for not being afraid of you. Number one, I've had the pleasure of your company for the last few days and I know that underneath that mask, you are, in fact, a human being, not an irrational monster. If you were _going_ to hurt me, you would have done so already. Lord knows I would have by now if I were in your shoes. Secondly, you have giant hero complex. If there's anything in this world that I can recognize, it's one of those, even if it is wrapped in Kevlar and a mask. It's against your moral code to hurt me, because that would turn you into what you hate the most, yadda yadda, yadda. Oddly enough, it isn't against your moral code to be giant jackass, which you are, by the way, most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"Right now, for example."

Batman pressured gloved fingers to his temples and shook his head slightly before turning his attention back to her.

"What is this about a hero complex?" he asked suddenly.

"Yours specifically or my ability to recognize one?"

"Your alleged ability to recognize one. I have no desire to hear your analysis of whatever complexes you think I have."

"Too bad, 'cause yours is a doozy. Anyway, I can spot a hero complex at twenty paces. I've encountered them before; I know the symptoms. Sadly, I don't know the cure. I don't think there is one," she replied thoughtfully.

"And where did you encounter the owner of this first complex?"

Chloe half-grinned at him. "It's, as you say, not your concern."

Batman grunted something incoherent before circling her again. "You said there were three."

"Three what?"

"Three reasons why you aren't afraid of me."

"Oh right. There are."

"…"

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What's the third reason?!"

"Oh, you actually want to know what it is?"

"YES!"

Chloe crossed her arms. "Jeez, calm down. The third reason that I'm not afraid of you anymore is that I decided that I'm not."

"Excuse me?"

"I decided that I am not afraid of you, therefore, I am not afraid of you."

"…"

"…"

"Simply having a conversation with you is enough to drive a man to want to kill you, you do realize this?" Batman said shaking his head.

"Maybe, but you won't, and I _know_ that you won't but that's number two which is a different reason."

"From what?!!!!"

"Number three!"

"You are truly insane, Miss Sullivan. This isn't just from that bump on the head you took on the docks either, you were been born like this. Nothing you say makes one iota of sense!"

Chloe stepped closer and stood on her tip toes. Now her tone was deadly serious. "You want to talk insanity, Batman? Let's talk insanity. I'm in cave filled with bats. Hundreds of screeching, flapping, guano-dropping bats. The only two people I have to talk to all day are here for minutes at a time and are wearing masks. Most of the people I care about think I am dead. My ability to go home is dependent upon dismantling a global plot to sell military weapons that make the Death Star look like a water pistol. I had one, count it, one decision that I could make that proves to me that I still have a tenuous connection to my own gray matter. You know what that one decision was?"

Not waiting for a response, Chloe forged on, her voice, firm, loud and clear. "It was not to give you any more power over me than you already have. I decided that I am not afraid of you; therefore, I am not afraid of you. Is that clear enough for you?"

Batman was silent for two full minutes before growling back. "Crystal clear."

He then turned on his heel and swept down the corridor towards the infirmary. He was gone a few minutes and Chloe was just about to follow him when she heard his firm footfalls approaching. Once by her side again, he tossed something on the table in front of them, which made a metallic clank as it landed. Chloe looked down and recognized the object as the lock from the infirmary door. She raised her eyes to Batman's eye slits.

"Toothpaste?" he asked simply.

She shrugged. "You work with what you've got."

"You might as well save the rest of the tube. The lock will stay off until you leave."

Batman stepped over the computer console and began to scroll through the contents of the screen she had been working on. He did so without comment. Or complaint.

Chloe suddenly felt like she should thank him but she sure as hell wasn't going to do that, so she decided to do something else.

"Batman?"

"…"

"Batman!"

"What?"

"Um…I don't want to give you another complex or anything, on top of the one you already have… Especially since this being scary thing seems to be what you're best at. And that's pretty important to the aforementioned hero thing. You _are_ really good at it. I mean, just because I'm not scared of you anymore doesn't mean most other people wouldn't be. If I hadn't been watching you in this cave with you for the last few days, and if I _were_ a criminal and I encountered you in dark alley…I am 99 percent certain that I would crap my pants."

Batman turned his cowled head to look at her. After a long moment, he spoke. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

* * *

_Bruce Wayne's study….Wayne Manor…the following day…_

Bruce didn't bother to look up from his laptop when he heard the study door open. He was in the middle of reading to one of several dozen work-related emails he had received that morning.

He had been down in the Batcave even later than usual going over Chloe's 'improvements' to the bat-comp—, rather, to his computer's monitoring capabilities. As a result, he got even less sleep than he typically did and decided to work from his well-equipped home office. Doing so every once and a while was good for his playboy cover, as well. He made sure that Alfred phoned his assistant early that morning and mentioned that 'Mr. Wayne had been entertaining friends late the night before and would be working from home.' Knowing his assistant, the word that Bruce was hung-over from a night of partying would be all over Wayne Enterprises by now.

Truth be told, an alcohol-induced hangover would likely be less painful than the headache he had from verbally sparring with Chloe Sullivan at two in the morning.

Still, he could not be too hard on her given that her hacking skills had gotten him access to at least four dozen more security camera systems throughout Gotham, most of them private. He is own computer skills were decent but not advanced and he had only been able to access the cameras owned by the city and the police department. When it came to catching Gotham's criminals, he had devoted more time to developing his physical skills than his computer skills because they were the ones he used the most.

In cases such as these, however, he was beginning to see how having someone around with more than a passing knowledge of information technology could potentially be valuable to his missions.

Actually, many of Chloe's insights could be valuable.

If only she weren't so damn irritating.

"Your lunch, sir," Alfred announce primly.

Bruce nodded and continued typing an email reply.

"Sir, are you planning to eat at all today?"

"Just leave the tray, Alfred. I'll get to it."

Alfred set down the tray and began muttering something about him not sleeping, barely eating and swinging himself into an early grave. Or words to that effect.

Bruce looked up to contradict Alfred's ramblings when he noticed the contents of the tray.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's food, sir. Perhaps you remember it?"

"Very funny. I mean, what kind of soup is that?" Bruce gestured to the steaming bowl on the tray, lying alongside a thick sandwich, fruit and the ever-essential coffee.

"It's chicken soup, sir."

Chloe's remark about chicken soup popped into his brain and one again, Bruce could not stop the corners of his mouth from curling up.

The woman was deranged but she was…interesting to have around.

Too late Bruce realized that Alfred was looking sharply at him.

"Sir, are you alright? You have a very unusual look on your face… Are you…smiling?"

Bruce immediately scowled at Alfred's teasing. "Never mind, Alfred."

Thankfully the doorbell sounded just at that moment.

"My heavens, I should have made chicken soup years ago if this was the reaction I was going to get. For my future reference, was it the letter-shaped noodles that cinched it? I admit that I am quite fond of those myself."

"The door. Answer the door, Alfred."

Bruce shook his head and an unrepentant Alfred glided off down the hallway.

His attempts to re-immerse himself in work were blocked a few minutes later when Alfred appeared in the doorway once again.

"Sir, Mr. Luthor is here to see you."

Bruce suddenly felt slightly unsettled for some reason, and he sat up quickly at the sight of Lex in the doorway behind Alfred.

"Umm…Lex, come in, sit down."

Bruce shifted some items around on his desk as Alfred offered Lex some lunch or refreshments which the other man politely declined. Alfred nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

"For a man with a hangover, you're looking well, Bruce." Lex sunk into one of the leather chairs and crossed one leg over the other.

"Ah…it's wasn't exactly a hangover actually…."

"I figured as much. What's her name?" Lex joked.

Bruce blinked and swallowed, halfway afraid that Chloe's name would spill from his mouth. That would have gone over well; telling Lex that he was worn out because he had spent the better part of the night with the woman Lex was in love with. In a cave under his mansion.

Not that anything had happened or would happen… but the idea that it was Bruce himself holding Chloe, not some faceless stranger in a mask… The explosion would likely be heard far and wide.

Bruce's grip tightened on the pen in his hand. Damn it!

In all the time he had been Batman, it had never been this tight of a balancing act. He had always managed to keep his lives as Bruce Wayne and Batman completely separate.

Now, because of this one…situation, the two roles kept intersecting.

This was never the way he planned things to be when he created Batman. There was supposed to be the criminal world, the dark side of Gotham that only Batman dealt with. And there was supposed to be Bruce Wayne's world, the world that provided the funds, the means, and the cover for everything that Batman's mission required. The line between the two worlds was supposed to be clear and definite.

Now Lex was looking at him strangely. Probably because he had not answered the question.

"You alright, Bruce? You seem a bit out of it today."

"It's nothing, just a late night, that's all." That part was true, at least.

Lex rolled his eyes. "Clearly. Just spare me the details. Just a reminder, though, neither of us is nineteen anymore. Late nights are fine when you can sleep them off. Trying to run board meetings with a hangover doesn't exactly make you CEO of the year."

"I don't need a nursemaid, Lex, and I won't regale you with details of my night if you lay off the lectures." Bruce punctuated his statement by taking a swig of the black coffee Alfred had left.

"Fair enough," conceded Lex.

Bruce cleared his throat to indicate a change in subject. "I take it you saw the message Lucius passed along from Captain Gordon? Is that why you're here?"

"Yes, I'm willing to be that I got the news long before you did, perhaps while you were still sleeping off the 'details' of last night." Lex replied mildly.

Bruce rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Lex's remark. Lex could believe what he wanted but he knew that Gordon was simply keeping them both in the loop about the impending meeting between Mills, Kline, and the individual who had hired them. Bruce knew because _Batman_ had sent Gordon and the head of the FBI contact in Gotham a message on the way back to the bat cave that night.

"Well, I'm more than ready for all of this to be over, and from what Gordon says this Batman told him, it looks like everything should be over tonight. I imagine you are, too. It means your Miss Sullivan will be returning, correct?"

Lex nodded once and Bruce noted that he made no attempt to protect Bruce's use of the possessive pronoun this time around. "That's what he promised. All I can do is hope that Gordon's right about him, that he has some sort of hero complex going on and he won't lie to us."

Bruce raised his eyebrow at Lex's use of the same phrase Chloe used the night before. He filed that information away for later. Something else was nagging at Bruce though, something he might be able to clear up now.

"Speaking of lying, are you planning on letting me in on the truth about your relationship with Chloe Sullivan anytime soon?"

Lex shook his head. "Don't you have enough intimate details about our relationship? You, Gabe Sullivan, and the entire goddamn Gotham PD, thanks to that idiot from Allied."

"That's not what I mean. I know what happened between you two here, in Gotham. I meant before, ten years ago."

"It's not really relevant." Lex rose from the seat and turned away from Bruce, facing the fireplace instead.

"You keep saying that, but it obviously is or we wouldn't be here. Look, I can believe that you were attracted to her when you crossed paths in Gotham. I can even believe that you slept with her even though that was a colossally stupid thing to do given the circumstances. What I don't believe is that you would tear this city apart looking for a woman who you claim was nothing more to you than the friend of a friend, someone you met in some hick town in Kansas."

Lex didn't answer; he simply stared at the flames in the fireplace, leaning his weight on the mantle.

"Does it have anything to do with Gabe Sullivan's reaction to seeing you the other day? He was fairly hostile, even for a former employee."

"He got over it. Can't you just drop it?" Lex murmured.

"No."

"Bruce…just leave it alone. It's done, it's over."

"As evidenced by your rational behavior regarding anything that concerns her? I've known you for 20 years, Lex. Don't insult me."

Lex ran a hand over his scalp and exhaled. But he still said nothing.

"This has to do with your father, doesn't it?" Bruce asked. He knew most of the story already but he needed to hear it from Lex.

Try not to ask questions you don't already know the answer to.

Lex rolled his eyes. "Doesn't everything?"

"Excuse me?" Bruce asked.

* * *

Lex pushed himself away from the mantle; suddenly feeling very worn down. 

"Doesn't everything eventually lead back to him? The company, my image, my personal life? Aren't I just a walking, talking psychiatry textbook? Just chock full of 'father issues?' You want to talk? Let's talk and let's not leave out any of the good stuff, shall we? _Your_ father might have been Gotham's own patron saint, Bruce, but not all of us are that lucky."

"Lex…"

"He tried to kill her." Lex breathed, and then sat down in the chair again to give Bruce time to react.

"What?"

"Lionel. He tried to kill Chloe. And her father. She was only seventeen at the time. She made some wrong decisions, got mixed up in one of his plans. He manipulated her at a time when she was susceptible to his games. It was vintage Lionel Luthor. When she tried to back out later, he retaliated by trying to ruin her life. He took away things that were important to her, hurt the people she cared about. Still, she wanted to stand up to him. She wanted to take responsibility for what she had done. She came to me, even though she really didn't trust me very much either. I can't really blame her. Up to that point, I hadn't given her very much reason to trust me. But she took a chance. She knew I was working on a way to bring him down, anyway I could. She offered to help me, even though she knew it could be suicide for her."

"Help you how?"

"You're familiar with her knack for finding information? That's a gift she's always had. Even when she was seventeen, she could find out things that the teams of people I had working round the clock couldn't find. There's no one like her." Lex said the last part low, almost to himself, but he knew Bruce heard it.

"It was one of the reasons my father approached her in the first place. But to answer your question, she was going to hand over everything she had on my father, and testify against him in court." Lex shook his head as a flash of Chloe arguing with him in the study of that old castle overcame him. The way she would stomp up to him and yell at him to his face with a ferocity that made him half afraid she'd claw his eyes out.

"In exchange for what?" Bruce asked, interrupting Lex's memory.

"Exactly. In exchange for what?" Lex smiled humorlessly. "That's what anyone else in the world would ask, right? Anyone else in the world would have asked for money, and, to be honest, I would have paid her any amount she named. But she didn't ask. All she wanted was to make things right, to fix what she felt was her mistake in aligning herself with him in the first place. And help me get out from under his control. She's one of the bravest people I'm ever met," he said.

"So she didn't ask for _anything_ in return?"

"She asked me to protect her and her father from Lionel. That's it."

"And did you?"

Even Lex heard the edge in his own voice as he replied. "She's alive, isn't she?"

"But something happened, didn't it? Something went wrong."

"He got close. Really close. He tried to take us all out, myself included. But he failed. The bottom line is; he failed." That was the bottom line, after all. Lex didn't think Bruce needed to know _absolutely_ everything. The details were theirs, his and Chloe's.

"I see. It sounds…intense; no wonder you two became involved." Bruce said.

"We didn't, not the way you think. We were friends. I looked after her, just like I promised. After Lionel went to prison, we didn't see much of each other. She graduated early, left town before I could stop her. Ten years go by, and suddenly, she's in your office barking orders at us. You know the rest."

"You're not telling me everything." Bruce surmised.

"You don't need to know everything. I'm giving you the facts."

Lex felt Bruce studying him, as if her were trying to figure out if he was lying.

So Lex answered the unspoken question. "I have no reason to lie to you now."

"Fair point," replied Bruce, folding his hands. "So why her?"

"Why her what?"

"You _know_ what I'm asking."

And the fact is, Lex did know. But he didn't think he needed to spell it out his answer to Bruce. Bruce should understand.

Lex rose from his seat, closing up his suit jacket as he did so. He walked towards the door without a word. He had already opened the heavy door and had his hand on the frame to leave when Bruce called after him, sounding somewhat impatient.

"Lex! I asked you a question!"

"And I already answered it. See you later, Bruce."

* * *

_Batcave…later that night…_

When Chloe entered the Batcave that night, Batman was already there and partially suited up. His mask and cowl, of course, were already in place but his cape was off and he was still loading up the belt at his waist.

She had not asked him any more direct questions about his identity since her "interview" the other night but she did wonder about it. He obviously had a civilian identity; one that was flexible enough to allow for these nightly adventures and that had enough connections to afford everything that went along with the persona. And then there was the question of where he went during the day. Did he sleep, go to work, go home to a family?

Batman didn't seem to have any superhuman or alien abilities like Clark did. He was strong, yes, but no more so than anyone who regularly trained with weights would be. He had mentioned being skilled in martial arts but those were learned skills, not abilities one simply had because they were from another planet. The ever-present kevlar suit showed that he was vulnerable to injury and thus had to protect himself.

No, from all her observations, Batman was human; an extraordinary human to be sure, but human nevertheless. Oddly enough, despite her curiosity about his real identity, Chloe wasn't in a hurry to uncover it. She had told herself that her first priority was helping Batman finish the mission at hand. There would be time for other things later. She already had more firsthand information about Batman than anyone else did. If she wanted to find more, she would, in time. Still, she was curious by nature and couldn't help but ask questions about things that were staring her in the face.

She watched as he loaded newly sharpened bat-a-rangs into a slot on his belt and then clipped what looked to be some kind of firing weapon at his waist. It didn't look like any type of gun she had ever seen and also, she had never read any accounts of Batman shooting anyone. Then she remembered the rooftop appointment between him and Gordon that she had "invited" herself to. When he left, Batman had shot out a line to swing from using some kind of device. Perhaps that "gun" at his waist shot out grappling lines, not bullets. She wondered where his real gun was. Just because she had never read about him shooting anyone, didn't mean he didn't have one. He had to have one. She could not imagine anyone heading into the areas Batman regularly frequented without some kind of firepower.

She stepped up beside him and picked up one of the bat-a-rangs. Noting the sharpening stone on the table in front of him, she looked at Batman while turning it over in her hand.

"You make these yourself?"

"I can't exactly buy them on eBay." Batman replied gruffly.

Chloe's widened slightly at his sudden use of sarcasm but she had another question. "What about other weapons? This can't be all you have."

"It's not."

"So what else do you use? I haven't seen any guns or knives around here. Please tell me you have a flamethrower or something on that belt of yours."

"Almost anything can be a weapon in the right hands," he told her, tying on his cape as he crossed the room, putting several yards of distance between them. His hands moved to his belt. "In fact, I find the best weapon I have…" He flicked his wrist in her general direction and something cracked loudly and a plume of smoke erupted between them.

Chloe winced and closed her eyes to shield them from the smoke. They were shut for no longer than a few seconds. Even with her eyes shut, the smoke bothered her so she turned her body to avoid the dissipating plume…and ran smack into Batman who was now right behind her.

"Holy shit…how…?"

"As I was saying…one of the best weapons I have is the element of surprise. Many times, when one of my opponents is caught off guard, it's impossible for them to recover."

Chloe grumbled "show off" at him in between her coughs.

"The computer in my vehicle is linked to the cave's computer; you'll be able to track my location from here…"

"Kind of like OnStar?" Chloe asked, with a grin.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind."

Batman shook his head at her and continued, "…as I was saying, you won't be able to track me until I enter the city limits. The car will be in stealth mode so as not to reveal this location."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You really are paranoid, you know that?"

"Yes."

"O-kay…just as long as you know…."

"Once I leave the car…" he interrupted, "you won't be able to track my location with anything other than the audio and visual communication we used last night. Understand that I would not have agreed to this if tonight were not so important that we finish this. An extra pair of eyes and ears may make the difference between success and failure but be aware, this is not a partnership. Tonight is a one-time exception to my most important rule."

"Which is?"

"I work alone."

"You keep saying that, yet here I am…"

Batman glanced at her one last time before turning on his heel and heading down the ramp towards his car. "You'll also do well to keep your comments restricted to the task at hand. I didn't agree to this so you could distract me all night with your incessant chatter."

"For you're information it's not incessant chatter…" Chloe called after to him. "It's called witty banter."

"Stay on the computer and keep me informed of Kline's position. If anything usual happens, tell me right away but I don't want to hear a sound from you unless you have critical information. Is that clear?"

He disappeared into the dark end of the cave. Seconds later, she heard the sounds of the car carrying him away into the night.

Chloe folded her arms across her chest and blew out a breath of air, the breeze she created fluttering through her bangs. "Hero complex or not, you're still a jackass most of the time."

End Chapter.

_Author's Note: The OnStar line just wrote itself in there. I couldn't stop it:) _


	24. Chapter 22

_A lot more action...but also a lot of conversation... Take that, Elvis! _

_Oh, by the way, I change POV quite a few times during my chapters, as you're probably used to by now. I try to put in a line divider when I do but if I forget, my apologies. _

_-NBG  
_

**Chapter 22**

_That evening…outside Robinson Park…_

"Where is he?" Batman growled again, under his breath.

"Is that a rhetorical question or are you _really_ asking me that for the fifth time in five minutes?" Chloe's voice was thin over the audio connection but Batman could still make out the sarcasm.

Batman was referring to Owen Kline, the senior member of the two-man team sent to steal the weapons designs from LW Tech. He had not yet arrived at the park. His partner, Paul Mills, was currently pacing the area near the west entrance gate to the park. Batman was perched out of sight several yards away on the base of a statue of a long-dead Gotham-born war hero.

"He should have been here by now!" Batman said. He could not shake the feeling that tonight was not going to go according to plan. "What's taking him so long?"

"Can you relax? Wait… dumb question. Let me rephrase. Can you _pretend_ to be someone who is capable of relaxing? He'll be there. Mills is already there."

Batman ignored her quip, instead asking, "Where does the tracker say he is?"

"He's…at the intersection of Broad and O'Neal Streets, heading in your direction. If he continues his blatant disregard for the city's posted speed limits, he should be there in five, ten minutes, tops. OK?"

"Something not right about this. I can feel it."

"Hello? Don't say that out loud! Saying something like that is usually what happens right before the ceiling collapses, the alien ships open fire or worse!"

Once again, Batman let her comment slide. Ignoring her was easier than arguing with her, he decided. "Focus here, Chloe…something's off…. Bring up that recording I made of Mills and Kline's meeting last night."

"Alright…hang on…Let me queue it up."

"Hurry!"

"Hey, unclench 'em for second, will you? I'm working as fast as I can.…here we go…"

At first, all Batman heard was garbled static.

"Adjust the controls; all I'm getting is feedback here!"

"Look, I majored in criminal justice, not audio engineering. Is it my fault that your bat-computer isn't ergonomically designed? These buttons aren't exactly easy to reach …there….that better?"

"…_What the hell took you so long? I've been here for nearly half an hour."_

"You shoulda picked a better neighborhood for us to meet; you think I know my way around this hellhole? I got lost trying to find this place."

"This wasn't my idea, believe me. It was the boss'. He thought that we should avoid anyplace we'd been before after what happened last time with that crazy bitch. The cops are all over the waterfront looking for her. It wouldn't be smart for us been seen together this late in the game."

"There!" Batman exclaimed. "Right there! Why are they meeting here again? They've been here before… I can't believe I didn't catch that before! I'm heading back to the car. Keep an eye on Kline's location."

"But where…?"

"Just keep tracking him and keep me posted! If I'm going to keep up with them, I need you to tell me where Kline is at all times. This is our only chance at this. We can't lose them."

"….so much for not needing my help," Chloe muttered thought it came over loud and clear in his ear.

"I heard that, Chloe."

"You were supposed to!"

Batman leapt down from the statue and raced across the park green, towards the wooded area about half a mile away where he had stashed his car.

He had just arrived at the vehicle when Chloe's voice rang in his ear once again.

"Batman, he's here, he just pulled up outside the park gates…. But it looks like you were right, they're not meeting here. It seems like he's just picking up his partner…I've got them on the gate security cam…Mills is getting into the car…and there they go…."

"Where, dammit? Where did they go?" Batman slammed the car door and revved the engine to life.

"North…wait, they just turned left….so, north west towards…the museum district? What the hell—?"

"Give me street names, Chloe, street names!"

"Traffic cameras have them on Sixth Avenue; you might want to give it some gas there, Batman."

"Concentrate on tracking them and leave my driving to me! I do this every night without you, you know."

"Not tonight you don't."

As she monitored the progress of Kline's car and alternately yelled at Batman, Chloe was busy trying to figure out why they were headed into the museum district in the first place. She knew the area quite well, as Allied insured most of Gotham's museums and high-end galleries. Gotham's museum district was one of the more affluent and well-maintained parts of the city and as such, you couldn't really count on it to be quiet at this time of night. If Mills and Kline were looking for a place to have a clandestine meeting with their mysterious boss, the museum district was the last place they should be going…Chloe looked at the date on one of her monitors...and on a Friday night of all things. This time of year, most of the larger museums in the area had late evening hours on weekends. They served cocktails and had live bands in their galleries in an effort to promote key exhibits and, naturally, hit the affluent, educated crowds they attracted up for donations.

Why would they want to go where there was a crowd?

Unless…

Unless the whole idea was to be in a crowd. Maybe whoever hired Mills and Kline didn't really trust them or didn't trust that they wouldn't be followed. What better place to meet them but a crowded party in a huge building with corridors, mazes and hundreds of places to hide? They could find a quiet area to conduct their business, and then quietly disappear into a crowd of other party-goers. If anything went wrong, there were dozens of exits and passageways to slip out through.

The more Chloe thought about it, the more it made sense. Outside, in any of their typical meeting places such as the park or the docks, they were exposed, with few paces to run for cover. She had learned that lesson that hard way and now had the bruised ribs to show for it. She had to hand it to him…or her, whoever hired Mills and Kline had thought ahead. Now Chloe had to figure out which museum they were headed to and how to guide Batman through it so they wouldn't lose their only chance to catch these guys.

There were five large museums in Gotham and at least three dozen small specialty galleries…which one would they pick?

"OK, if _I_ were a traitorous spy, which one would _I_ pick?" she said out loud, forgetting for a moment that Batman could here her.

"What? What the hell are you talking about, Chloe?"

"Nothing… just be quiet; I'm trying to think here, OK?"

"Excuse me?"

"Just keep heading towards the museums, OK? And slow down a bit, you're too close to them. If they see that rocket ship you call a car, they'll know something's up."

"Chloe, the idea is to catch them."

"No, the idea is to catch them in the act. If they see you now, the most you can get them for is a traffic violation and you know it."

Batman did know it, judging from his silence on the other end of the connection. And thank God, too. It was hard to concentrate with him barking at her all the time.

Within seconds she had made her decision. "Batman, I think you should head towards the—." She began, but he cut her off.

"Gotham Metropolitan Museum of Art? It's the biggest and most intricately built. If they're looking to get lost, that's their best bet. And I think there's a party for an exhibit opening tonight."

One corner of Chloe's mouth curled up. "You read my mind. Maybe you do know what you're doing after all. Her hands were working furiously at the keys in front of her, easily hacking her way into Allied computer network. Well, maybe not exactly hacking. She used her pass code. After all, unpaid leave still meant she was an employee. So what if she was "borrowing" the passwords to the museum's security system? She'd just tell whichever of her colleagues was in charge of the museum's policy about her little transgression later.

Switching to another monitor, she typed a series of IP addresses until she reached the one she was looking for. Within minutes, the feeds from several dozen of the museum's security cameras began flashing across the screens of the bat-computer.

Batman's deep voice rang through the speakers. "The museum's security system…can you access it?"

"Hmmmmm, could be…maybe… if you ask nicely…" she teased in return.

"Chloe!!!"

"Close enough. Way ahead of you, as we speak I can see just about everything in the building from the ass-kissing going on in the main atrium to the security guard doing the TV Guide crossword in the Monet exhibit. I'm working on a way to split the screens so I can see more views at once. OK?"

"…"

Chloe rolled her eyes at Batman's tense silence. "You're welcome," she told him pointedly.

"Where are they now?" he growled.

"Five blocks from the museum…after all I did to hack into this one, they sure as hell better come here. If the need arose, I don't know how the hell I'd hack into the Gotham Modern Art Pavilion."

"Why not?"

"Those snooty bastards use a different insurance company."

"Oh."

Chloe squinted at the small monitor still tracking Kline's car. "Hey Batman, look alive. It looks like they're slowing down…Yeah they are. They've parked in the alley behind the museum, where Museum Row hits Walker Street. I suggest you swing around to…."

"I know, I know…Pine St, it's one way…just keep an eye on them and make sure they go into the museum."

"I'm watching the main entrance…partner."

"Chloe…" he said warningly.

"Damn….thought I could slip that in there."

Chloe split her attention over the next few minutes between the image from the museum's security camera and the tracking beacon on Batman's car. Once the beacon was stationary, she switched the monitor to the view from his cowl-lenses. She noticed him making his way down the alleyway towards the museum.

Chloe watched as his arm appeared in the view holding the gun-like device he wore at his waist. He aimed it upwards at one of the protruding pillars on the roof of the building and fired. A line shot out and the end disappeared somewhere on the roof, out of Chloe's view.

Batman's arm tugged on it to check its security, then the perspective began to shift as Batman rose above the alleyway.

Chloe gasped. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I can't exactly walk in the front door like this! I'm finding my own way in!"

"Through a window?"

"The roof!"

"Stop! God, you'll set off the perimeter alarms! They're set to go off the second anything weighing more than 30 pounds lands on the roof!"

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Standard high value property security procedure. We would not have insured them otherwise."

"Then just…turn them off," he grunted.

"Just turn them off, he says…would you like fries with that? Hang on…" As she typed furiously, she noticed that he was rising above the alleyway. "Jesus, Batman, stop moving! Just hang out for while."

"Hang out? Chloe, does this look easy to you?"

"If you climb up the outside any higher than the second floor and slam against the building, you'll set off one of the sensor alarms on the exterior walls. Just hang out until I can get those turned off, then I'll do the roof."

She heard him muttering curses through their audio connection but he was staying still.

Finally, she found the commands she needed to switch the roof and exterior wall alarms back over into "daytime mode." Turning them off altogether would attract too much attention. Daytime mode, however, would allow Batman to get inside. Daytime mode was designed to prevent large artworks from being lifted out through the roof, not to prevent people from getting in.

"There, all clear," she said.

Batman grunted and cursed and resumed his ascent. Meanwhile, Chloe spotted their two marks strolling through the main entrance; they had dressed to blend in with the upscale crowd, though Chloe doubted Mills had introduced a comb to his stringy blond hair.

"Moe and Larry have entered the building. Still appear to be looking for Curly."

Batman, who by now had landed on the roof and appeared to be looking for an entrance down into the main building, stopped in his tracks. "What?!!!"

"Mills and Kline are in the lobby. No sign of who they're meeting." She explained.

Batman used a small metal lever from his belt to crack open a panel in one of the skylights. Chloe heard him muttering something to himself about 'just crashing through the damn thing' but she couldn't be sure precisely what he said.

"I'm going in." he told her.

Chloe's eyes flicked from the party to the monitor showing Batman's view of the twenty-foot drop through the skylight.

"Alright. Watch that first step. It looks like a doozy."

* * *

Batman ignored Chloe's quip and executed a perfect tuck-and-roll through the skylight and into the room. As he landed, the thick soles of his boots cushioning his fall, he lamented that his Olympic-quality acrobatics had been wasted on an empty gallery. His flips and other gravity-defying skills typically unnerved his enemies into some degree of ineptness or even submission.

"Jesus Christ!" exclaimed Chloe.

Well, at least someone was impressed.

"Warn me when you're going to do that next time. I almost lost my dinner there! Remember, I see what you see."

Or maybe not.

"What's happening?"

"Mills and Kline are still in the lobby. Try to stay out of sight until they start moving."

"Fine. Any suggestions?"

"Ummmm….down the hall, third gallery on the right. The Bolland exhibit. The museum website says it's closed for the week. From the security cameras, it looks like it's pretty dark in there. You should blend right in. Try to avoid the cameras though. If I can see you, that means museum security might too."

Batman grunted in response and made his way down the hallway, pressing himself close to the walls to try to stay out of the sight of the security cameras. They had come too far for him to get tripped up by the museum's actual security team.

"Can you see me?" he asked Chloe, as he tried to shrink into the shadows.

"Yeah, a little, but I know what I'm looking for. Chances are the real security guys are too busy drinking coffee and reading the sports section to notice a pointy-eared shadow lurking about in one of the empty galleries."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, aside from the fact that identifying security weaknesses _is_ part of my job; I did my share of breaking and entering when I was a teenager. Always for a good cause, of course. You learn real fast not to underestimate the ineptitude of night security guards. They make the whole illegal entry thing so much easier."

Batman shook his cowled head involuntarily. Chloe Sullivan truly had a unique outlook on the world.

Batman made it to the vacant room and immersed himself in finding the most effective ways into and out of the rooms while he waited.

"Ventilation ducts?" he asked Chloe without pretense.

"Sealed off by both computer code and manual combination and key lock. I would be able to take care of the computer code thing but the lock's a bitch. Ventilation ducts are a criminal's first choice. Most high end security systems these days close that loophole first." she replied.

"I see. So how will I get to wherever they go for their meeting?"

"There's always the janitor disguise."

"Very funny."

"Hey, don't knock the classics."

"Quit joking around and try to come up with solution here!"

"Who says I can't do both?... OK, loophole, loophole…if I were a loophole…"

"Hurry!"

"…Now for me to say this to anyone else borders on hypocritical, but you really need to think about decaf, Batman… Seriously… Alright, here we are, I think I found something. Most of the exhibit halls are connected by a series of rear corridors. They allow the employees and security staff to move from room to room quickly and without disturbing the tourists. According to the plans I have, these corridors are not alarmed and the doors are locked with standard locks, should be easy enough to pick."

"Cameras?"

"They do show up on the security cameras and I can't shut any of them off without attracting attention. You'll have to figure out a way to not be noticed."

"Other options?"

"Fitting that janitor's cap over your pointy ears?"

Batman sighed. "Fine, but can you disable the lights in those corridors?"

"Hmmmm…let me see…corridor lights, corridor lights, off with the corridor lights…nope, those are the main hallways… here we go, corridor access…there, done. But wait, how are you going to see?"

"Night vision lenses in my cowl."

"Oh, of course. And might I add, cool."

"Where is the access to the corridor in this room?"

"Back of the room, far right."

Batman looked but he could not find a door. "I don't see it."

"My grid says it's there and I can see the corridor from the cameras. Are you sure?"

Batman felt along the paneled wall until his gloved fingers encountered a vertical seam. He followed the seam until he found a keyhole. He immediately reached for his utility belt. "Found it. It's not a door, it's more a wall panel, virtually hidden. The proverbial secret passage."

"Wonderful. On top of everything else, now were in a game of Clue."

Batman was silent as he picked the lock with little trouble.

"Nice job," observed Chloe. "Let me guess, you've done that before?"

"Yes. Status report."

"Hang on…something's happening…one of the waiters just slipped something to Kline. It's either his phone number – which would be a shame because that waiter could do _so_ much better – or it's a message from our mystery person, announcing his presence."

Some moments of silence went by before Batman whispered harshly "Well?!!!"

"Looks like option B…I wish I could have seen who sent it…now Larry and Moe seem to be trying to make a casual exit towards…the East Wing...which means you should go that way too. Left."

Batman nodded and took off down the hall in the direction Chloe instructed. He had to admit, it would have taken a lot longer to figure out where to go without Chloe guiding him. Having an eye in the sky, as it were, did have some advantages, he supposed.

"What floor are they on?"

"Owens just punched the elevator button for the mezzanine level, which is two levels below you. Don't worry, though, the corridor you're in leads to a stairway in about seventy-five feet. You'll need to wait until I give you the all-clear signal though, just in case anyone is in the stairwell."

Batman slowed his sprint and ran his hand along the wall until he felt the doorknob.

"Hold it!" Chloe exclaimed. "There's someone there. Looks like a guard. Shit!"

Batman pressed himself against the wall and ran through a list of actions to take if the guard entered the corridor. He wasn't happy with any of them but he had to think of the bigger picture.

"Damn! He must have seen you on his monitor and came up to check. He's reaching for the door….God….Try to…I dunno…conceal yourself somehow…."

Batman almost choked at Chloe's words. Try to conceal himself? He was six feet tall (even without his cowl) and weighed over two-hundred pounds (not including his cape and belt). He was standing in darkened corridor no more than four feet wide. Just _how_ was he to conceal himself? He considered asking Chloe this but decided the guard was a more pressing matter.

He backed up until he was behind the door and centered his weight; he waited patiently as the door began to open. Using the faint light streaming in from the stairwell and the shape of the guard's shadow, Batman immediately targeted the man's head.

One swift uppercut to the chin and a knock to the back of the head and the unsuspecting man slumped the floor.

Chloe heard the scuffle but apparently hadn't made out what had occurred, at least not at first.

"Crap, Batman…tell me you didn't…."

"I had to. He's fine. It would have taken more time than we have for me to handle it any other way. He'll just have a headache when he wakes up. That's it."

"Well, try to focus on beating up the bad guys from now on, OK? You got that? The _Bad_ guys."

"And they would be the ones wearing the black cowboy hats as opposed to the white ones?" Batman quipped without thinking as he stepped over the guard's prone form.

His uncharacteristic retort was initially met with stunned silence. At last, however, she found her voice.

"Did you just…make a joke?"

"Never mind that. Just tell me what's going on."

"Well, before you unleashed your rage on that unsuspecting guard, you were heading down two levels to the mezzanine to meet the boys and their mystery date."

"I know all that but are they in there yet?" Batman replied as he raced down the empty staircase.

"They're walking towards the Anderson Gallery…make a right at the end of the main corridor…Don't worry, the corridors empty….Shit, something's wrong with the camera in that gallery though, someone must have shifted it, I can't see everything…"

Batman's feet touched the mezzanine landing before he turned sharply to follow her direction.

Then he heard her gasp.

"What is it?"

Chloe uncharacteristically hesitated before responding; instead he only heard frustrated noises as she apparently tried to figure out something on her end.

"Chloe," he demanded, "What happened?"

"Dammit! I don't know…I think….I think you need to get to the Anderson Gallery right now!"

Batman pressed his hand to the earpiece in his cowl, as Chloe's increased volume was causing the static in their connection to increase as well.

"Why? What's going on?"

"The camera angle's screwing me up….it's not letting me see everything; all I know is that Mills and Kline just walked into the gallery and…whoever's in there must have some kind of weapon on them because they dropped what they were carrying and put their hands in the air. I can't hear all that they're saying, I can't even tell if it's a man or a woman talking…wait, he's saying something…"

There was a strained pause as he waited for her to relay the information, and he had little patience left.

"Chloe! What did he say?"

"…He said, 'I've changed my mind. There's no need to pay you when you're going to die anyway.'"

Batman began racing towards the gallery, now uncaring of the noise he was making in the hall.

With one hand still on his ear, he gave Chloe one final instruction.

"Call Gordon. Now."

* * *

"Call Gordon. Now."

With shaking fingers, Chloe muted the audio connection with Batman and activated the bat-computer's IP-telephone. Batman had showed it to her the night before. It was an Internet-based telephone whose connection bounced in an irregular pattern to servers all over the world and was therefore impossible to trace. Batman's paranoia about securing his identity seemed limitless. But right now, Chloe's mind was not on her host's identity, but rather on keeping him alive.

She dialed Captain Gordon's cell phone, one of only a handful of numbers programmed into the phone.

"Gordon."

"Captain Gordon, it's Chloe Sullivan…Batman needs—"

"Chloe Sullivan, Jesus Christ! Where are you? What's going on?"

"Where I am isn't important. The most important thing is for you to get to the Gotham Museum of Art right now. Batman's there and he needs you, he's trying to bring in the person behind all of it but I don't know…We don't know what he's walking into, you need to get there now! Bring everything you've got!"

If Gordon had any doubts about taking orders about Batman from anyone other than the man himself, he got over them quickly. Perhaps the urgency in Chloe's tone convinced him.

Whatever the case, he assured her that he and his contacts at the FBI would get to the museum as quickly as possible.

Disconnecting from Gordon, Chloe reconnected with Batman just in time to see him arrive at the doorway of the Anderson Gallery…and just in time for her to see Paul Mills crumble to the floor as a bullet struck his chest.

Owen Kline's body already lay prone on the floor, a pool of blood growing around his torso.

The angle of the security camera was still off but she could now see the gunman from Batman's perspective. He stood, unrepentant, across the room, in a mid-length black wool coat and black knit cap. The cap hid his hair color but not his face. Chloe noted his angular features and distinctive, wide-set eyes. She had little time to commit the man's face to memory because he instantly spun towards Batman ready to fire again.

Batman's gloved hand appeared in her view and by the time Chloe's mind registered that he had flung a bat-a-rang at the gunman, the gun was skidding across the floor. Chloe watched in fascination as Batman continued his slow advance on the man, as the man gripped his wrist in pain, cursing loudly.

"Fuck! This isn't your business!" His intense eyes still trained on Batman, he backed towards the far wall of the gallery.

"My city, my business." growled Batman.

Chloe blinked, reminding herself that she had a duty to be more than a spectator here. Batman needed her help. Surmising that the man would try to escape at some point, she combed the list of security commands for the one that would seal off the gallery. It meant that Batman would need to hold his own with this man until Gordon arrived but that was certainly preferable to having the man escape altogether.

She had just found the correct command when, through the audio connection, she heard a rattling moan come from one of the injured men and the perspective shifted as Batman looked towards the men, and unfortunately, took his eyes off his opponent for a second.

Through the corner of his view, however, Chloe saw the man reach up and grab the heavy red fire extinguisher from the wall and lunge back towards Batman.

"Batman, watch out!"

He turned, and attempted to move. He was quick enough to avoid a blow to the head but the extinguisher made contact with his torso. Chloe soon found herself with an up-close view of the gallery floor, which told her that Batman had been knocked off of his feet.

Instinctively she pushed the commands to close the security gates to the gallery. The heavy gates slid into place just seconds before the shooter could reach one of the entryways.

She heard Batman mutter a strained, "Good work" as he heaved himself to his feet once again.

* * *

Still reeling from the blow to his chest that had literally knocked the breath out of him, Batman silently swore at himself for becoming distracted. It was dumb mistake; something that could have gotten him killed or allowed this scum to get away. It was Chloe's quick thinking in warning him that had saved him from the worst of the hit and again, her quick thinking that sealed off the possible escape routes.

He praised her under his breath as he rose to his feet but was careful not to alert the shooter that someone else could hear them.

As the gates locked into place, the man spun around to look at him, angry, frustrated, and somewhat surprised.

"A neat trick, Batman. Can you bend spoons as well?"

"You should be more concerned with what I'm about to do to you. I don't go easy on killers…or terrorists."

The two began to circle one another, keeping their backs to the far walls, never taking their eyes off one another.

"Name calling? Is that really necessary? I'm an opportunist, not a terrorist but you will find that I'm a cut above the street thugs you're used to fighting. So far you haven't impressed me much so I can only assume that your fighting skills have been overrated...maybe you've finally met someone who can beat you."

"One lucky shot doesn't define a fight." Batman replied. "I can beat you and I will. And then you'll tell me who you intend to sell those plans to."

Amazingly, the man smiled and rolled his eyes. "I can answer that now as it's no big mystery…" He paused briefly to grab a nearby vase and hurl it at Batman's head. Batman easily dodged it and recognized the act for what it was; a test of his reflexes.

"…I plan to sell them to the person or persons who pay the most for them. I'm not picky. I'm practical."

"It doesn't matter to you that selling those plans could start a war?"

"Wars start every day over far less than what I do. It's naïve to think that you can change that."

As he spoke, Batman noticed that he was slowing pulling something from the sleeve of his coat. His movements were subtle but Batman, determined not to be caught off guard again, noticed them immediately.

"The solution isn't to give everyone weapons capable of wiping out their enemies ten times over!"

"Allowing only some to have them isn't a solution either. But then, I really don't care about the politics of what I do, this is business…"

The muscles in the man's right hand tensed and Batman tensed his body in reaction

He brought up his hand quickly and something silver flashed in the light, coming towards Batman. Fortunately, Batman was more prepared. He ducked easily, and flicked another bat-a-rang in the man's direction. One of the sharpened points lodged itself in the man's upper thigh.

"Fuck!" he screamed, grabbing his bleeding leg.

Batman used the opportunity to lunge at him, tackling him to the hard marble floor.

Despite his injury, the man fought back and well. He caught Batman with blow to his upper chest, then elbowed him the face.

They scuffled on the floor for a few more minute, each man landing painful, but not finalizing blows.

In a desperate attempt to get time to gather himself, the man reached up and grabbed Batman's head and slammed it into the hard floor. Seizing his opportunity, he scuttled away on his knees, holding one hand to his injured thigh.

The pain shot through Batman's head immediately. It was not as great as it would have been without the special cushioning lining of his cowl but a hard marble floor was still a hard marble floor.

It took a great deal of his martial arts training to separate himself from the pain long enough to clear his vision and sit up.

He immediately heard Chloe's voice in his ear. "Are you alright?"

He muttered back a low "Fine" and rose to his feet, eyes trained on the his opponent, who had just succeeded in pulling the bat-a-rang from his leg.

"I can't just sit here and watch you guys fight. There's got to be something I can do!"

Batman said nothing in response. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't alert his adversary to his ability to talk to Chloe. He just had to have faith that she would figure out some way to do...something.

If anyone could, she could.

* * *

Chloe tapped her fingers impatiently on the bat-computer's console, her mind racing to find something, anything she could do other than sit around like some sort of helpless...whatever. Dammit, she was far from helpless...

With renewed determination, she pounded on the keyboard keys looking for something that might help her.

The time she had spent the previous night scouring the bat-computers capabilities would now prove to be crucial.

The databases, she remembered, the bat-computer was connected to all sorts of public and not-so-public information databases. Public information would not were too helpful right now but...

Batman's relationship with Gordon had given him unofficial access to crucial law-enforcement databases. For security and other reasons, all law enforcement agencies had access to databases housing the identifying information for all other members of the law enforcement and military community. It was a sharing system designed to foster cooperation between agencies, minimize turf wars, and speed up certain grisly "identifying" processes.

All the evidence so far suggested that the man currently locked in the gallery with Batman was military.

One of his last remaining defenses was that Batman did not know who he was.

...one of the best weapons I have is the element of surprise. Many times, when one of my opponents is caught off guard, it's impossible for them to recover."

"Time to test your theory, Batman." Chloe said aloud.

Queuing up the footage she had recorded from Batman's video feed, she fast-forwarded through the recording until she found a clear view of the assailant head-on. She copied the image and brought it up on another screen, where she zoomed in on the face.

Working with police sketch artists every now and again over the years gave her an advantage now. She knew which portions of the human skull were most unique. She attached markers to key points on his face: the distance between the eyes, the length and breadth of the nose, the widest points of his cheekbones, the angles of his jaw, etc.

She looked up briefly at the other screen in time to see Batman lift land a kick to the man's midsection and then partially block a return kick aimed at the back of his leg.

Realizing that time was of the essence, she connected to the military and law enforcement databases, uploaded the image and typed

FIND MATCHES

Then she prayed that Batman could hold his own until the system found a match...if it found match at all.

Batman easily ducked the pedestal that his opponent had desperately heaved in his direction.

The man was hurt, tired, and dazed. But he was also determined. It did not escape Batman's notice that, in between the exchanging of blows, the man was systematically moving around the room, leaning against walls for support, but also testing them, looking for some kind of exit.

"There's no way out of here. The exits are sealed." Batman told him, circling closer.

"You're lying. I happened to know there are corridors leading to all of these galleries.

He stood up straighter and wiped some blood from his chin. Batman had just landed a particularly effective kick there a few moments earlier, and evidently cut the man's flesh against his teeth.

"Perhaps, but you still have to get through me."

"I've faced entire armies of zealots, not afraid to die. You think I'm going down to some freak in a Halloween costume?"

The man's words confirmed Batman's assumption that his opponent had military training. Aside from the earlier evidence that the mole came from inside the Pentagon, the man's fighting style – opportunistic yet rigid – bespoke military training.

Batman's temper flared.

He was no zealot, but he was no lightweight in a Halloween costume either. And it was time this excuse for a human being realized that.

In a matter of seconds, Batman lunged at his opponent from a crouched position, knocking them both back to the corner. His gloved fingers found the man's head and slammed into the wall behind them.

"What about you?" Batman demanded. "Are you afraid to die? Or do you prefer killing the coward's way? By proxy?"

He got in a few more blows around the man's head and torso but could not get the leverage to keep him down. The man seized that weakness and brought up his legs with enough for to push Batman off of him and a few feet away, before scrambling to the wall. The wall, he soon discovered, that led to the back corridors of the museum.

Batman landed with a heavy thud, angry himself for failing to subdue the man once again. As he got to his feet, he realized that Chloe was speaking to him.

"Batman! Listen to me! I know who he is! His name is Robert David Mitchell III. _US Air Force Colonel_ Robert Mitchell III. Currently assigned to the Department of Defense as a… 'National Security Analyst with the Science Applications Division.' I'm no rocket scientist myself but I'm thinking he had the clearance to see the plans sent over from LW."

"What else?" Batman muttered. He could see a Mitchell struggling with the lock on the corridor door. Dazed and without a tool of some sort, it was unlikely that Mitchell would be able to pick the lock in time…

"There's a lot here but it's all in military-speak, I'm not sure how to interpret all of it. I see service in the first and second Gulf Wars, a list of assignments in the Middle East, but there's a huge gap between assignments in the second war. Then some medals right after the war ended… 'Bronze Star with Oak Leaf attachment.' What does that mean?"

Batman knew what it meant.

Prisoner of war.

A long block of time during which you feel abandoned by your country, feel betrayed by your allies…and care less and less about the difference between right and wrong.

"There's more…" Chloe continued. "He's third-generation military…I don't see how it makes any sense that he would _do_ this…"

It made sense to Batman.

He got to his feet and reached into his utility belt, eyes trained on Mitchell, still struggling with the door's lock and having a difficult time as his hands were slippery with the blood from his thigh.

"Give it up, Mitchell. You're not going anywhere."

Mitchell turned to look at him in surprise. "How—?"

Batman clenched the fist he had just withdrawn from his belt.

Their position in the room now afforded Chloe a better view of the action from both the museum's security camera and Batman's cowl-camera.

She saw Batman flick his hand towards Mitchell and, as it had happened with her in the cave, the exploding powders sparked and cracked as they hit the flour, creating a large plume of smoke.

Mitchell cowered from the smoke, straightened, then looked around in confusion when he saw that Batman had vanished. He turned back to the lock, obviously intent on escape but he found himself being lifted at pressed against the wall roughly.

"I don't think you heard me. I said, you're not going anywhere…" Batman growled. "You should be used to talking orders, _Colonel._"

Mitchell was fighting to keep a modicum of control over the situation, or at least minimize the control that Batman was gaining over _him_.

He paused, tightening his grip on the man's coat, and angling his fist to put pressure on his windpipe.

"Being trapped bothers you; isn't that right?"

Chloe blinked. What was Batman doing? Was he trying to mess with the guy's head?

Now?

Mitchell kicked at Batman in response but the fabric of Batman's cape meant the he had about as much luck with that move as Chloe had when in a similar position with Batman.

"Did they keep you in the dark…for days on end? Or was it more like weeks and months? Was it so dark you could barely see in front of your face?"

"SHUT UP!!!" cried Mitchell, fighting to free himself and almost succeeding. He wrenched one hand free and began to claw at Batman's head.

Alright, so messing with the guys head was the right course after all. Acting on a combination of instinct and trust for whatever the hell it was Batman intended to do this man, Chloe immediately shut off the lights in the gallery.

She saw Mitchell freeze. "Dark like this?" Batman sneered. He then used the opportunity tighten his hold on him and slam him into the wall once more.

"How long? How long did you sit there thinking no one would come? That no one even cared?"

"STOOOOOPPPP!!!"

"Or were you most afraid that someone _would_ come? That when they did come, they would finally kill you…slowly?"

"Shut up, freak! You don't know anything! I was a hero before… I was _born _a soldier."

"And you think that gives you the right to do this?"

Batman slammed Mitchell against the wall one more time.

"What happened to you was horrible, no one should have to live through it…but if it had been ten times worse, it still doesn't give you the right to do this! To get rich by starting wars? To betray everything you know?"

"WHY NOT? Many people got rich off of my pain. Many people betrayed me! I lost three years of my life! And what do I get? A paper-pushing job at the Pentagon and a lousy piece of metal. This way…this way, I can even the score."

Batman lifted him on the wall a bit higher. "Even the score with who? The people who are going to die because you sold weapons to terrorists? With those two men you just shot? With me?"

Mitchell had no answer, he simply went limp. He stopped struggling altogether. For several long seconds, Batman just stood with there, until the both heard the sound of approaching sirens outside.

Quickly, Batman produced one of his rope lines and ties it quickly around Mitchell's arms and wrists. To Chloe's surprise. The man did not put up a struggle.

Far from it.

"Kill me." he whispered to Batman.

"What?"

"I said, kill me. The police are going to send me back to the Pentagon. When they find out everything...I'd be better off dead. The people on the other side, the people I've sold to, they'll kill me to protect themselves. "

Batman give the binds on the man's wrists a final tug. "Not my problem."

"Batman, you don't understand it's better for everyone if I die here!"

Batman did not answer., He pushed Mitchell to the floor and stepped back.

"Batman…Gordon's in the lobby…he's got backup and the paramedics with him..." Chloe told him.

"Make sure he can get in here." Batman said to her out loud, his eyes still on Mitchell. "And send over the footage from these cameras to the police headquarters. They'll need it as evidence..for a trial."

Mitchell didn't seem to care that Batman seemed to be talking to the air, he had only heard one word in that sentence.

"Trial? I won't live to see a trial!"

Chloe raised the gates and seconds later Gordon and two dozen FBI agents and police stormed the room, guns drawn. Gordon immediately assessed the situation and signaled the others to hold their fire.

The paramedics followed soon after, rushing directly to Mills and Klein.

"Batman!" cried Mitchell, as the agents began to lift him to his feet.

Batman shook his head.

Gordon cast a concerned look at Batman, as the officers and agents escorted Mitchell from the room. "What was that about?" he asked.

"He wanted me to kill him before you could take him into custody."

Gordon holstered his weapon. "Must be desperate. He had to know you wouldn't do it."

"He is desperate. And confused. You'll see. Head back to your station. The footage from the security cameras will be there, as well as his profile. Chloe's sending them over."

Gordon's silver-black eyebrows shot up. "Chloe? Chloe Sullivan?"

Batman began walking towards the nearest exit, ignoring Gordon's reaction. "Speaking of which, meet me in two hours. Robinson Park, west side. You can take her home."

Though Batman missed it, Chloe could not help but find the shocked look on Gordon's face amusing.

Biting back a grin, she turned their audio connection back on. "Tell him to make sure he has coffee with him."

She wasn't the least bit surprised when Batman ignored her.

* * *

_Batcave….later that evening_

Chloe looked up as she heard the Batmobile's engine coming closer. She finished up the task she had been working on at the bat-computer and stood, just as the car came to halt a few yards away.

She watched carefully as Batman climbed out, looking for signs of the very brutal fight he had just endured. He moved stiffly to be sure, but he had no visible wounds or injuries. She decided that his training must really be vigorous if he could stand, let alone drive, after such a fight.

"Are you alright?" she asked as he came closer and she was then able to see the dirt and dark patches on his uniform, the latter of which she presumed was blood.

"I'm fine. Did you send the message?"

Chloe opened her mouth to protest his easy dismissal of her question but thought better of it. She wasn't going to have any luck with a mother-hen routine with him, that much was certain. Instead she nodded.

"Yeah, I just did. I guess they'll be waiting for us?"

"Yes." He hesitated, looking towards the back room where she had been staying. "Do you need anything…the clothes you arrived in?"

Chloe cringed at the memory of the grimy bag-lady disguise she had been wearing when she fought with Mills and Kline and been so unceremoniously dumped into the polluted Gotham River.

"You have my permission to burn those."

Batman turned on his heel and walked back down the ramp. He flicked his wrist towards the car as he walked and the driver and passenger doors to the Bat mobile opened automatically. He looked expectantly at Chloe.

"Are you ready to go?"

Unable to resist, she quipped back. "Are you so anxious to be rid of me?"

"Yes."

Chloe rolled her eyes at his grouchy response though she had hardly expected any different. With one last look at the incongruous "techno-cave" she had called home for the past few days, she walked down the ramp to the car.

"I don't believe you, you know."

Batman didn't respond. He simply settled into the driver's seat of the car and waited impatiently as she did the same before he started pushing buttons on the vehicle's dashboard. The dashboard, though, looked more like a miniature version of the bat-computer, with flashing lights, screens, and gear shafts around an odd-looking steering wheel.

The doors slid shut on either side of them, enclosing them in a virtual darkness. Seatbelts folded over each of them and Chloe noticed that the passenger side belt seemed more snug-fitting. Though she immediately felt a wave of claustrophobia at suddenly being trapped in the small space, she wasn't about to let Batman off the hook.

"Did you hear me? I said I don't believe you. I think you're going to miss having someone around to talk to… To help you out... To tell you when you're being a jackass…"

A muscle twitched in Batman's right cheek but it was enough for Chloe. Besides, it was likely all the reaction she was going to get out of him.

She let her eyes roam around the interior for a minute and realized that she could see out through the windows and windshield. There wasn't much to see in the cave but once they got outside…

"Aren't you worried that I'll be able to trace our route back to your cave after this?"

Batman glared at her briefly, then pressed a red button on the dashboard. Immediately the windows and windshield darkened to point where neither of them could see out. A small device similar to a periscope in a submarine slid down from the ceiling of the car and aligned itself with Batman's eyes, giving him an unobstructed, yet decidedly private view of the road.

"Not really."

She rolled her eyes. "This paranoia of yours, they have doctors for things like that now, you know?"

Batman shifted the car into gear. "I'll keep that in mind."

With that, they sped off into the night.

End chapter.


	25. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_Later that evening… Robinson Park…_

Inside the West Gate of Gotham's Robinson Park, inside an awkward geometric space made by a group of parked cars, five men and one woman waited. And each dealt with the waiting in their own way.

Gabe Sullivan paced, checked his watch repeatedly, and paced some more.

Captain Jim Gordon calmly sipped his coffee, occasionally listed to the police radio at his belt.

Officer Renee Montoya, in attendance only because Gordon worried that Chloe Sullivan might need "a female presence to calm her down" stood at rapt attention, anxious to comply with a direct order from her boss. Her hands fiddled with the blanket Gordon suggested she should bring and the thermos of hot coffee that Gabe Sullivan had insisted she bring.

Ted Dandridge followed Gabe Sullivan's pacing with his eyes and occasionally made futile attempts to get the man to relax.

Danny Pena chewed on his thumbnail and engaged on a largely one-sided glaring match with Lex Luthor.

Lex Luthor stared at the west gate. His stood with his hands in the pockets of his pants and did not say a word or even look at anyone. The only things distinguishing him from the statue of the dead general behind him were the horse, the wind fluttering through his clothes, and the fact that he did need to blink every now and again.

The minutes ticked by. Gabe Sullivan tapped his watch. "What time do you have?" he asked no one in particular.

This earned him a sympathetic smile from Ted but no other response.

Finally, the all heard the sound of a roaring engine approaching and turned in the direction of the sound. A sleek black vehicle that looked to be equal parts tank and sports car spun through the gates and came to a skidding halt a few yards away.

Danny Pena and Renee Montoya's jaws dropped and she almost dropped the coffee.

Gabe Sullivan cursed and muttered "He drives like that with my daughter in the car?!!!"

Ted Dandridge attempted to tell Gabe to calm down yet again.

Lex Luthor frowned and started toward the car.

Jim Gordon stopped him with a hand on his arm as he crumpled his paper coffee cup with his other hand. "Give it a minute, son."

They all watched as the driver side door opened and a black-clad, pointy-ear figure stepped out and stood beside the car. The passenger side door did not open and the windows were tinted so black, that it was impossible to see inside the vehicle.

Batman made no attempt to approach them.

Gordon dropped Lex's arm. "Stay here, all of you. He wants to talk to me."

"How the hell do you know that? He hasn't said anything." Danny asked.

Gordon ignored him and looked from Batman back to the group standing with him. "Just stay here." He was looked directly at Lex as he spoke so there could be no doubt as to who his directive as meant for.

Batman as relieved when Gordon started walking towards him. Alone. He had been hoping that Gordon could read him well enough to know that he had no intention of dealing with that many people, least of all Lex. Come to think of it, that Ted Dandridge was far too sharp for Batman to be comfortable around either. No wonder the man respected Chloe so much.

As he thought of Chloe, his gaze flicked briefly towards the Batmobile. He and Gordon really didn't have too much time to chat before Chloe revolted at being left in the car.

Gordon approached, hands buried deeply into the pockets of his trench coat.

"Evening. Thanks for the footage from the cameras. The Feds nearly wet themselves when they saw it. Prosecuting him will be a lot easier with those recordings. Mills died on the table and Kline's in ICU. There's no guarantee he'll make it so it will be good to have some other evidence."

Batman nodded.

"How'd you get that footage anyway? And how'd you know who the guy was?"

"Chloe Sullivan."

"Chloe?"

"She got into the museum's security system. She also ID'd Mitchell from his profile while I was trying to take him down. Matched his face to his ID in a military database."

Gordon looked impressed. "Damn. She sounds pretty handy. You sure you want to give her back?" He joked.

Batman frowned at him and immediately changed the subject. "Mitchell seems to think he'll be dead before this comes to trial."

"Yeah, he rambled on about that for a while during booking. Seems to think his 'customers' will want him dead more than the Feds want him alive. I doubt that, though. I think the government's going to make an example of him. They'll make it the terror trial of the century. A real media circus."

Batman nodded. "Exactly, and that's why he'd rather be dead."

"Pardon?"

"Read his file." Said Batman, although truth be told, he hadn't done so himself. Chloe had read it too him on his way back to the Batcave. "He's third generation military. No male in his family has left the service with a ranking below Major since the World War II. It's all he knows. He got captured by insurgents in the Middle East ten years ago, passed around as a bargaining chip among different factions for three years before the Air Force got around to breaking him out."

Gordon exhaled in disbelief.

"They gave him the standard psych eval, handed him some medals, and stuck him behind a desk at the Pentagon. I guess everyone hoped three years of being locked in a hole in the ground and tortured would only give him a few bad dreams."

"So you think he snapped?"

"I looked in his eyes, Jim. I know he snapped."

A muffled pounding came from the car and Batman sighed. Their time was almost up.

"He's still somewhat lucid though," he continued. "He's sane enough to know what he did was wrong but apparently not sane enough to stop himself from trying to exact some revenge on the government and get what he felt he was owed. But the real reason he wanted me to kill him was so he wouldn't have to face his own family as a traitor."

"You think that's the reason?"

"He went into the service with a distinguished family name to uphold and this is how he ends up.? I'm very sure that's the reason."

"Well, his lawyers should have some fun sorting it all out; it's in their hands now."

The pounding from the car grew louder and more insistent. Gordon shot him a look that was part amusement, part disbelief.

Batman frowned and said flatly, "I suppose I should let her out before she blows the damn thing up."

Gordon snickered. "You think?"

"Head on back and tell them she'll be over in a minute."

Gordon nodded, recognizing that their conversation was over. "OK… ah…nice work, Batman."

Batman nodded curtly at the compliment and circled around to the passenger side of the car and waited while Gordon began heading back to the others. Then he remembered something.

"Jim?"

Gordon turned. "Yeah?"

"Tell Luthor and her father…she's still hurt…from the docks…bruised ribs." Batman felt uncharacteristically foolish relaying that information but for some reason, it seemed necessary.

Gordon looked at him oddly for a fraction of a second and then resumed walking.

Batman waited until he was certain Gordon had relayed his message before opening the car door.

Chloe looked up at him, her legs in mid-kick at the dashboard.

"About damn time! What the hell? Locking me in a cave for days on end wasn't enough? You needed to lock me in the damn car too? After all I did for you, you ungrateful, pointy—!"

"I needed to talk to Gordon." Batman said calmly, reaching over her to release her safety belt.

"Call his cell next time! I was dying in here!" She unfolded himself from the car and pulled herself up to her full height - which was still a good foot shorter than his - and glared at him.

Batman only slammed the door and stepped back, wordlessly indicating that she was free to go. With an exaggerated huff she started away from him towards the others. After a few steps, she froze, as if the reality of the situation had just hit her. She spun around and walked slowly back to stand in front of him. Batman was momentarily struck by how small she was and looking even smaller in the ill-fitting clothes Leslie had given her. Small in stature but not so in any other way.

"I never thanked you…for fishing me out of the river. I know its part and parcel of the whole hero thing, but I can still show my gratitude," she said.

The thing about being Batman was that he rarely got thanked. He didn't deal with cats in trees and that kind of thing. The criminals he strung up weren't exactly grateful for his efforts. He was usually long gone before the police arrived to collect these 'gifts' and the odd civilian he rescued from a violent act was typically too scared out of their wits by the sight of him to say much of anything.

Which is why he had no idea how to respond to Chloe's 'thank you.' No idea at all.

In the end, he could only nod in reply but he managed to do so without frowning so he figured it was something.

She turned again and walked away for real this time.

* * *

Chloe wasn't sure what she expected from Batman when they parted. A hug? Certainly not. A handshake? Perhaps. But a wordless nod? That really took the whole dark and brooding thing too far, didn't it?

She shrugged to herself as she turned away. It was who he was and she was not likely to see him again so it really didn't matter. What mattered now was that she was free to go back.

She was relieved to see the small group of mostly familiar faces waiting for her. She couldn't deal with strangers now. Gordon, of course, her dad, Ted, Danny, some female officer she had never seen before…and Lex.

Lex got to her first, which came as no surprise. Before she could say a word, his hands were on either side of her face. Her hands landed at his waist and she hung on tight.

"Are you OK? He said you were hurt…" Lex whispered, his face very close to hers.

"I'm fine, it's just bruised ribs from the fight on the docks," she told him.

He looked like he wanted to kiss her but something was holding him back. Perhaps the fact that there were seven other pairs of eyes on them. Instead, she leaned up and kissed the side of his mouth, then tucked her head into the crook of his neck, content to inhale his familiar scent once again and enjoy being near him, even if she could not be as close to him as she wanted to be.

Gabe caught up with them by this time and Chloe pulled away only to be engulfed in another embrace from her father.

"God sweetie, I thought…. Thank God, you're alright!" He let her go quickly to look her over, apparently checking her for sign of injury or something.

"I'm OK, really. I'm fine."

Lex was caught her hand again. "He didn't hurt you?" he asked.

Chloe blinked. "Who?"

Lex nodded toward Batman, who was still standing motionless several yards away. "Him."

Chloe smiled shakily and shook her head. "No, of course not. Everything was fine."

Lex looked at the black-clad figure standing next to a tank of a car, cape fluttering in the wind. "But…"

Chloe squeezed his hand back. "I'm fine, Lex." She shifted her attention to the others. "Hi, Ted. Hey, Danny…I miss anything?"

"You crazy brat," Ted said, pulling her from Lex for a quick and gentle hug. "You're going to be the death of me."

Chloe almost laughed when Lex caught her hand again as soon as Ted let go of her and he defiantly pulled her closer to him when she turned to greet Danny.

"Hey, Danny. Didn't I tell you I had it all under control?" she joked.

Perhaps it was her imagination but Danny seemed to look warily at both Ted and Lex before answering. "I shouldn't have doubted you for a minute, CJ."

"Damn right."

The female officer stepped forward, introduced herself and offered her a blanket which Chloe readily declined, instead eyeing the thermos. "No thanks, but if there's coffee in there, I just may tackle you."

Gordon nudged Montoya. "You heard the lady, hand it over. After what she's been through, I don't want to have to arrest her for assaulting a police officer!"

Montoya knew better than to disobey a direct order. Chloe tore the lid off the thermos in seconds and took a long swig.

"Speaking of assault," Gordon added. "I'm going to need to get you to file a report with the PD about the assault at the docks…"

Gabe, Lex, and Ted all opened their mouths to protest but Gordon held up his hand.

"…but since one of the suspects is dead and the other is in intensive care and likely not going anywhere, I don't think it's something that needs to happen tonight."

Chloe stiffened at the revelation that someone actually had died in all of this. Once again, the reality of the situation slammed into her and she leaned against Lex for support.

Bless Gordon for taking pity on her. "Go home and get some rest, Ms. Sullivan." Smiling faintly, he added, "I imagine he wasn't exactly easy to deal with."

There was no question who 'he' was.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You have no idea."

As if one cue, the bat-mobile's engine roared to life and they all turned to watch it speed away, screeching across the pavement.

Chloe turned her head to see Lex staring intently at the retreating vehicle. His jaw was tightly set, his eyes were dark, and he radiated tension all of a sudden. The entire effect made Chloe slightly…uneasy. Uneasy because she was certain she'd seen that look on his face before.

* * *

_Later that evening…Lex's Penthouse… _

An hour and a half later, Chloe realized that she had been too tired to worry about whatever it was Lex was brooding about. The activities of the preceding days were finally catching up with her. She had barely slept during the day in the Batcave – who could, really? Staying up all night to match Batman's schedule was easy to do when you were running on adrenaline but when that the adrenaline was gone…she was just about ready to drop.

She fell asleep in Lex's car as they drove her father back to his hotel. She vaguely heard Lex promising Gabe that he and Chloe would drive him to the airport the following afternoon but she didn't recall contributing anything coherent to the conversation. Her father placed a kiss on her forehead and was gone.

Lex then stopped at her loft and let her snooze in the car while he ran up and grabbed some clothes and toiletries for her. She hadn't asked, he just did. She didn't even recall agreeing to stay at his Penthouse with him but she didn't feel like arguing.

Once back in Lex's apartment and somewhat recharged from her nap,, she decided she really wanted a shower. In Lex's amazing bathrooms with all the showerheads on full blast. Using her own nice-smelling soap, not the hospital-y stuff that she had used in the Batcave.

She grunted something incoherent in Lex's direction and disappeared into his bathroom. She emerged a half an hour later, having exhausted all the possible showerhead combinations. She was dressed in a silky blue nightgown and robe and feeling truly female for the first time in day. Lex was nowhere in sight.

She found him minutes later, in his study, leaning over his desk, his back to the door.

He looked tired and rumpled, not that the latter was a bad thing. His black shirt was untucked and partially unbuttoned. Naturally, he was sexy, but the worry lines around his eyes and mouth concerned her.

Wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, she placed her head against his shoulder. "How many more times do I have to tell you that I'm OK?"

"A few more hundred should do it," he replied dryly.

"Please say you're joking."

Lex turned in her arms and leaned his weight against the desk so he could pull her closer.

"Fine, I'm joking."

"I don't believe you."

"You told me to say it!"

"I meant for you to say it and mean it."

Lex kissed the bare skin just above the neckline of her robe. "Be more specific next time."

Chloe rolled her eyes then looked at his face. "You look like hell, you know that right?"

"I've been told that I've looked better."

"Did you sleep at all while I was gone?"

"Sleep? Yes. Well? No."

"At least you're honest," she muttered. "Lex, the whole reason for sending you and Dad those messages was so that you wouldn't worry about me. Didn't you believe me when I told you that I was alright?"

"Of course I believed _you_, it was the messenger I wasn't so sure about."

"Batman? You didn't trust Batman? After everything that happened, you didn't trust Batman?"

"Chloe, it's one thing to trust Batman to bring down a terrorist, it's another thing entirely to trust him with someone I…with _you_. Seriously, the man doesn't come across as the picture of sanity."

"I know, I tried to tell him that the pointy ears were too much but he wouldn't hear of it."

Lex half-smiled at her quip. "Where did he keep you anyway?"

"Ah…I'm not sure I really want to tell you. You're just going to freak out."

"Try me."

"….In a cave…somewhere outside Gotham. I don't know where, though."

"A CAVE!!!!"

"Nice job not freaking out! It wasn't like a bear's cave in the woods somewhere. It was some kind of techno-cave, fitted out with computers, labs, and stuff. I had a room, a bed, running water, and everything. I think it was a natural cave that he renovated himself. It was actually fine…except for the bats."

"BATS!???!"

"You said you wouldn't get upset."

"I made no such promise!"

Chloe realized he was right. Well, it was too late now. She might as well tell him everything.

"Yes, there were bats, up in the high parts of the cave. They pretty much stayed up there …and I got used to the screeching."

"Screeching?" Lex released her and pressed his hands to his head. "So let me get this straight, this man lives…in a cave…filled with bats, somewhere outside Gotham?"

"I told you, it's not just bats, he has computers and stuff."

"Well that makes it all better, then. So many of your bat-infested caves come without net access these days, I'm glad he thought ahead." Lex drawled sarcastically.

"Lex, can you please just let it go? Batman is just a man. He kept his word and took care of me. I'm back now. We caught the guy. Your robots won't be sold to terrorists. You've got your government contract…"

"Wait, you know about that?" he interrupted.

"Of course, I know about that. I asked Batman and he told me it was one of the conditions for destroying the plant. The Defense Department would reimburse you and you'd get a contract."

"How did he know that?"

Chloe shrugged. "I have no idea, he knew everything else about this, why not that? He probably found out from Gordon through the FBI."

Lex shook his head, "I don't know. I thought that our contact at the FBI was keeping that part quiet until everything died down. It was just going to be between Bruce, myself and him for now. Why would he tell Gordon?"

Chloe ran her hands up Lex's chest to get his attention back. "Who knows? Who cares? My point is, it's over. I'm fine. I'm here. With you. Can you relax now?"

"Maybe, if you answer one more question."

"What?"

"What about us?"

"Us?"

"Yes, the 'us' that you acknowledged did exist…before everything went to hell for while there."

"Oh that 'us'…"

"Right, that 'us'."

Chloe made a show of pretending to think about the question and Lex pulled her close again, letting her body fit between his legs.

"I like the idea of 'us'…" she began, gasping a little; as Lex's lips found her throat again.

"Good," was his muffled reply.

"But…."

Lex head shot up. "But?"

"Do we need it label it right now? I mean, it's three in the morning. We've just been through a whole lot of craziness. I don't think either of us is ready to decide whether this is 'Casual Dating Us', 'Serious Dating Us'…'Forever Us' or whatever."

At first, Lex face gave away nothing. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you and I should just be 'us' for a while before we try to be anything else. Together but with a definition to be determined at a later date. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it actually does…although, if the need arises, you're explaining this arrangement to your father. Not me. He and I have had enough strained conversations to last for quite some time."

"Deal."

He kissed her before she could question him further; it was their first real kiss since she came back. It was deep, warm, and needy – a kind of neediness that had little to do with sex.

Neither of them was in much of a hurry to end the kiss or turn it into something deeper, at first. But after several minutes, the warmth Lex was radiating through his thin silk shirt was too tempting and Chloe leaned into him to get closer and she heard the crumpling of paper behind him, reminding them both that they were now sprawled across his desk.

Chloe pulled back and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

"First rule of 'Us' – Don't apologize for jumping me."

"I did not jump you! You kissed me!" Chloe joked back, as Lex tried to shove the papers put of the way. Once he had done that, he reached for her again, but Chloe was distracted by something she saw on one of the papers.

It looked like a map. Of Gotham. Covered with dozens, maybe hundreds of location points.

"What's that?"

Lex looked confused. Then guilty. "It's nothing. Come here."

"No. What is that?" Chloe reached over Lex to grab the top sheet. It was a map. And the location points were marked with times of day. The map itself had a date on it. There were dozens more sheets behind Lex on the desk, all with similar location points, times, and dates.

"Chloe, it's just something I was tracking while you were gone. I was going crazy worrying about you…it's nothing. Just forget it."

"Tell me what it is." The tone of Chloe's voice told him she would not let it go.

"They're maps of sightings of Batman on given days. Mapped out by hour."

"Sightings? Lex, he's a real person, a vigilante - not Sasquatch."

"I know that. I was trying to see if I could find a pattern, maybe trace him back to wherever it is he was coming from."

Chloe was impressed, in spite of herself. It was a very 'Lex' thing to do. But why?

"Why did you do it, though? I told you, I was OK."

"I know that, but I didn't know for sure that when it was over, that he'd…you have to understand, I was worried, panicked even."

"You didn't know for sure that he'd what?" she insisted.

Lex sighed. "That he'd actually give you back. I thought I'd have to come find you myself. I was trying to find a way to do it."

Chloe's jaw dropped and it took her several seconds to formulate a response. Even then, it wasn't terribly coherent.

"Wha-? Why….I don't understand…why you thought he wouldn't give me back. First of all, I don't 'belong' to him or anyone else for that matter so the whole concept of 'giving' doesn't really apply…"

"You know what I meant."

"I know, whatever, so that aside, what did you think? That he would fall madly in love with me and not want to share me with the rest of the world? That's crazy!" Chloe could barely get the words out between her giggles. The whole idea was rather absurd to her.

"It's not crazy! You just said yourself, he's human. He's a man…" Lex's voice was suddenly louder and an octave higher, revealing a rare degree of emotion. He clearly was not seeing the humor here.

"Yeah, but that kind of thing doesn't happen…people don't just fall in love with me like that…"

"_I_did!" he exclaimed, then his eyes widened as he realized what he had said.

Chloe stopped laughing abruptly. She swallowed and let the silence hang over them for a full minute before looking up at him again. He looked unsure, worried. As if he thought he had scared her off.

"When? Ten years ago?" she asked softly.

"Yes, although I didn't know it for sure at the time. I thought I was infatuated with you because you needed me to protect you. Then, when it was over, I realized I needed you, too."

"And by that time I was gone."

"Yes. You were gone."

Chloe wrapped her arms around his waist once more.

"I'm here now."

She received a genuine Lex Luthor smile in return.

"Yes, you certainly are."

End chapter.


	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_The following afternoon…Gotham International Airport… _

"'Item Number Four…I am to receive no less than three forms of communication from you each week confirming your safety and updating me on significant events in your life. These communications may be any combination of the following: telephone calls, emails, mailed letters and greeting cards. Be aware that voice mail messages do not count as phone calls and that the above items are listed in order of preference..."

"Dad!!!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Yes?" Gabe peered at her over the rims of his reading glasses.

"Don't you think this is taking it a bit far?"

"No, I think this is very appropriate given your actions, young lady…"

"Now there's no reason to bring the 'young lady' into this. I'm twenty-eight years old!"

"If you insist on remaining in a profession that puts you in mortal danger on a regular basis…"

"You're exaggerating just a tad there, Dad!"

"…a profession that puts you in mortal danger on a regular basis, I have every right to request that you stay in contact with me. I'm your father, no matter how old you are…young lady. Now where were we?"

"You were on the last one?" Chloe ventured.

"Nice try…Item Number Five. Holiday visits will be at least three days in duration commencing no later than the holiday itself and preferably one day prior to said holiday…"

"Oh God!" muttered Chloe, burying her head in her hands as her father droned on.

They were seated in an airport waiting area just outside the security checkpoint, waiting for her father's flight to begin boarding. Gabe was using the opportunity to acquaint Chloe with his new list of Father-Daughter Rules, a list he had devised in response to her having been less than candid with him about the true nature of her job at Allied.

Despite Chloe's apologies, pouting, and outright begging, he would not be deterred. These were his Rules and she was going to listen to them.

Lex was several feet away, talking on his cell phone as a call from his office had come over right after Gabe started on Item Two. Rather convenient, Chloe thought.

She spread her fingers and looked pleadingly over at him, begging for rescue. He only shrugged and smiled and continued with his phone call.

Judas.

"Item Number Six, Bullet Proof Vests…"

Chloe shook her head and covered her eyes once again.

"Chloe Sullivan, if you're not going to give me your complete attention, I can restart from the beginning," Gabe warned, in a voice she had not heard since she was in her teens.

"Sorry, Dad. I'm listening."

"This is for your own good, you know…"

"So you keep saying…"

Gabe's face softened and he stole a look over at Lex, who appeared to be wrapping up his call.

"You know, if you're not going try to keep yourself alive for me, do it for him, will you? I spent the last few days with him and I really don't think he could survive losing you again. He's not as tough as he comes across, you know."

Chloe grinned, although her eyes were stinging a bit. "You don't say?" She patted her father's hand. "I'll tell you what, Dad. I will do my absolute best to stay alive for both of you. Does that work?"

Gabe smiled. "It's a start…now back to the list, Item Number Seven…"

"DAAAAD!"

"This wouldn't be necessary if you hadn't lied to me in the first place."

"I didn't exactly lie…I just left out some of scarier details…so you wouldn't worry."

"Chloe, that kind of splitting hairs is not what they taught you in catechism. Lies of omission are just a serious and sinful as any other kinds of lies…"

Chloe threw back her head in frustration. Where the devil was his plane anyway?!!

Lex chose that moment to settle in next to her on the waiting area sofa. Draping his arm around her shoulder, he said, "Sorry about that. Where are we?"

"In Hell," muttered Chloe.

"I was just reminding my daughter about what she learned in catechism about the evils of lying."

"Yes, I can see she's enjoying that a great deal." Lex smirked at Chloe, a devious glint in his eye. "I'll have you know, Gabe, that I voiced my displeasure at Chloe not telling you the truth about her job as soon as I leaned of it. The very moment, in fact."

"I appreciate that, Lex. It's good to know that someone was thinking about my feelings on the matter."

"Suck up." Chloe muttered to Lex.

"Brat." Lex muttered back.

"You know what, Lex? You should keep a copy of these rules too. That way, you can remind Chloe of her elderly father, living alone two thousand miles away, just in case she forgets again."

"That's a great idea, sir. I'd be happy to do that. Do you happen to have another copy on you?"

"As a matter fact, I do." Gabe fished out another sheet and handed it to Lex with exaggerated alacrity. "Here you go…Son."

Chloe had reached her breaking point. She grimaced as if in agony. "OK! OK! You have made your point, Dad! I'll stick to your rules. Just stop with…whatever this is you're doing. It's really freaking me out! It's…not natural! Just stop it!"

Gabe and Lex made no attempt to hide their laughter at her predicament.

"She snapped sooner than I thought she would," remarked Gabe, as he caught his breath. "I thought for sure she'd hang in until number twelve at least."

"I think it was the 'son' that did it. That was inspired." Lex replied.

"Why thank you, it just came to me."

Realizing their collusion, Chloe frowned. "This isn't fair. You guys aren't supposed to gang up on me. There's only one of me and two of you."

Lex folded the sheet of paper and slipped it into his shirt pocket anyway. "And that, Miss Sullivan, is the only way this is fair. Maybe if you weren't quite so brilliant in your own right, we wouldn't see a need to fight fire with fire."

"Don't try to butter me up now, you Judas."

"There you go; she remembers her catechism after all." Lex told Gabe.

Gabe rolled his eyes. "Selectively, it appears."

Despite her words, Chloe leaned into Lex's side and enjoyed the feel of his arm around her shoulder. She wasn't as dismayed at the idea of Lex and her father ganging up on her as she let on because it clearly showed that the two men had come to an understanding. They clearly respected each other. At some point she'd have to ask Lex just what had transpired between them while she had been gone.

They were interrupted by a voice on the PA announcing the boarding call for Gabe's flight back home to Fresno.

"Well, that's me." He smiled at the couple of the sofa across from him. "Can I trust to two of you to keep each other out of trouble for a while? At least until I see you again?"

Chloe looked up at Lex at the same instant he looked down at her and they silently tried to come up with an acceptable answer. They eventually settled on one, which Chloe voiced.

"We can try, but no promises."

Gabe shook his head and rose to his feet. "I think that if I hang around hoping for better answer than that, I'm going to miss my flight."

They walked Gabe to the security gate and Lex stood patiently while Chloe and her father embraced.

"Take care of yourself, OK?" he told her. "No unnecessary risks, OK?"

"OK, Dad. I love you."

"Love you, too." Gabe then shook Lex's hand warmly and Chloe had to smile because whatever understanding the two men had come to, they weren't ready for hugging just yet.

"By the way, make sure you tell her about the Danny thing. I think it'll be better if you let her take care of it. More entertaining for you anyway." Gabe said and to Chloe's bewilderment, Lex smiled in return and nodded.

With one final wave, Gabe disappeared through the security gate and was gone.

Chloe wiped away the tears that always welled up in her eyes every time she had to say goodbye to her father and leaned gratefully into Lex's embrace as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

She felt his lips by her ear and answered his unspoken question. "I'm fine. I cry every time he leaves…or I leave. He's still the only parent I have."

"He loves you enough for twenty, though."

"This I know. What was that about Danny?"

Lex snorted, and began leading her out of the airport. "I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to make a stop before we head back to your apartment."

"OK, where?"

"You'll see."

_A short time later…Wayne Manor…_

"You know, my calendar doesn't say that it's Torture Chloe Day."

Lex pressed the doorbell. "For the last time, I am not torturing you."

"Could have fooled me. First, there was that evil display at the airport with my Dad…"

"Which was all his idea, by the way. If you're looking for someone to call evil…"

"…and now, you drag me here to 'make nice' with someone who has stated, in no uncertain terms, that he cannot stand the sight of me. How are you planning to top this off? A trip to the dentist followed by the finest liver-and-onion meal money can buy?"

"Don't you think you're being a little over-dramatic here?" he asked, then instantly regretted the words as they left his mouth.

Chloe placed her hands on her hips. "Have we met? Drama is what I do! You know that! What I _don't_do is suck up to rude and obnoxious people, which is exactly what your friend Bruce Wayne has been to me. Rude and obnoxious."

"OK, number one, I shouldn't have said that. Number two, I am not asking you to suck up to Bruce. I'm asking you to be cordial. We all said some things during this experience that we regret and I'm sure he especially regrets that…thing about not being able to stand the sight of you."

Chloe crossed her arms and snorted. It should have been unattractive to Lex but she was also pouting while she did it and it ended up being cute anyway.

"And number three, he's one of my oldest and only real friends, so do you think you can try? For me?"

"Maybe."

"Chloe…"

"OK…but no more of that ganging up on me with my Dad thing."

"We'll negotiate the details later. Just be nice." He pulled her closer and rested his arm around her waist.

Lex decided he was going to have to come up with a counter-offer because there was no way in Hell he was giving up having Gabe as a partner in crime. The man had twenty-plus years of Chloe experience he needed to tap into.

The enormous mahogany door opened at last revealing Alfred.

"Mr. Luthor, it's always nice to see you…and you've brought a lovely friend."

"Alfred Pennyworth, this is…"

"Chloe Sullivan, I remember the young lady from the charity dinner. She was a guest of Mr. Dent…"

Alfred smiled pointedly at Lex. "And, as I recall, you couldn't keep your eyes off her the whole evening."

Chloe beamed as she shook Alfred's hand. "I think I'm going to like you, Alfred."

"It's impossible not to like Alfred." To the butler Lex asked, "Is he in?"

"Yes, he's in the sunroom. This way, please."

Lex tried his best to counter the pained looks that Chloe kept shooting him with reassuring looks of his own as Alfred led them through half-a dozen ornately decorated rooms on the way to the sunroom.

The sunroom was a marked contrast to the other rooms they had walked through. The others had been dark woods, antique furnishings, priceless rugs, and inlaid marble floors. The sunroom, from what Lex understood, was an addition to the old manor that Bruce's mother had made during her first year of marriage. It was brighter, by nature, and had lighter, softer furnishings, more plants, plate windows and glass doors that gave the illusion of being outside when you really weren't.

Lex had been coming to Wayne Manor since he and Bruce were in their teens and he had rarely seen his friend in a room in the house other than this one or the study. Alfred had quite said plainly on more than one occasion that if it weren't for parties, Bruce would never set foot in the ballroom or the formal dinning room.

Bruce was on one of the sofas, stretched out with the newspaper, looking rather obnoxiously like a Ralph Lauren advertisement in a cream-colored sweater and tan pants.

"Master Bruce, Mr. Luthor and Ms. Sullivan to see you."

Bruce didn't look up and Alfred, no doubt wondering where all his years of etiquette training had gone, looked pained.

"Mr. Luthor, sir. May I get either of you something to drink. Coffee? Tea?"

Lex thought about declining before he realized that Chloe was not likely to get through this visit without some kind of fortification. "Coffee would be fine. Thank you, Alfred."

Alfred vanished with well-honed efficiency and Bruce still did not look up.

Chloe shot Lex a look that managed to say both "I told you so" and "You're going to have to make it up to me for this" quite succinctly. He gestured for her to sit down on the sofa across from Bruce, before joined her himself.

"Afternoon, Bruce."

Nothing.

"Or should I say 'good morning'? We weren't able to get a hold of you last night so I can only assume that you were 'entertaining' late into the night again."

Not a twitch.

"I did not come all the way out there to watch him read the paper, you know." Chloe grumbled. "I told you, rude and obnoxious."

"Chloe…" Lex warned, under his breath.

"This is interesting…" Bruce remarked, reading from his paper. "It appears that there was some kind of attempted robbery at the Gotham Museum of Art last night. Nothing was stolen but some pieces were damaged and…oh dear, some of the assailants were shot. One fatally. Awful business."

He looked up at Chloe and Lex. "Did you two hear about this?"

Chloe blinked, and then turned towards Lex, her expression flat. "Can we go now?"

"Bruce, you're not funny. We came over here to talk. Seriously."

Bruce laid down his paper with a smirk, "So it's 'we' now, is it?"

"It is 'we'," spat Chloe, "As in 'us,' Lex and I, as in 'together,' and you're an asshole."

Bruce smiled. "Such feisty language for a dead woman. Miss Sullivan, believe it or not, it is nice to see that reports of your death….well, etc, etc. I must say, though, if you rise from the dead one more time, someone's going to build a religion around you."

"Are you volunteering? Because if you are, you can get down on your knees right now and kiss my—"

"Chloe—!" groaned Lex.

"Feet. I was going to say 'feet', I swear."

"So…" said Lex, turning back to Bruce. "Are you done acting like a five-year old now?"

"Hey, you came to see me, you know I'm not my best at this time of the morning."

"It's two in the afternoon!"

Bruce shrugged. "What can I say? Last night was 'entertaining' as usual."

Lex shook his head. "Have you spoken to Lucius yet today?"

"Yes, and he gave me the real version of last night's events, not the public version. Obviously, I'm pleased for the obvious business reasons. And I am pleased for both of you as well."

"Really?" asked Chloe, clearly not believing him.

"Well, I have to _say_it, anyway. He is my oldest friend after all."

She turned to Lex. "You see? That's what I'm talking about!"

"Relax, Miss Sullivan, I'm joking! My objection to your relationship ended when this- " he pointed at the newspaper – "matter ended. I _am_ very happy for you both. The truth is Lex is pretty damn intolerable when you're not around."

Chloe's face transformed again, back to her beaming smile. "Is he really?"

"A moping, insufferable pain in the ass, I assure you."

Chloe settled back in the sofa and closer to Lex. "Good."

"And really, who am I to judge his decisions?" Bruce continued. "My role as a good friend is to be supportive, even though Lex has managed to snag the single most irritating woman on the planet, if he's happy, I'm happy."

Lex realized that Bruce was just trying to bait her and he knew that by now Chloe did too. And if he thought enough of her to bait her, he obviously respected her intelligence. Lex trusted that Chloe would realize this as well and she didn't disappoint.

"Why thank you, Bruce. I appreciate the sentiment and I will do my level best to keep Lex happy. We wouldn't want you to have any competition as the nation's leading insufferable pain in the ass billionaire."

Lex looked looked from Chloe to Bruce and finally rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You see, I knew you two could get along if you made the effort."

Alfred brought their coffee a few minutes later, which did wonders for Chloe's mood, Bruce noted. She seemed to realize that his remarks were only teasing. He did learn, however, that if he pushed to far, she was more than willing to stand up for herself and for Lex. He grudgingly accepted that, in that sense, she and Lex were well matched.

Chloe Sullivan was bright, resourceful, and attractive – and not quite as irritating as Bruce once believed. Of course, it was natural that he would find her less irritating after she had quite literally helped save the whole mission the night before. Bruce was nothing if not fair about giving credit where credit was due.

Still, he didn't think he could ever see himself being truly friendly with her. She was too sharp. Too inquisitive. Bruce knew could never be at ease around her. He would tolerate her for Lex's sake, be cordial even, but the fact remained, Chloe Sullivan was dangerous.

When she excused herself to use the restroom, Lex leaned forward in his seat and said, "We're going to have to talk about the company at some point, you know. We have the contract. Now we have to decide if we're going to be able to fill it. We need to give them an answer."

"I know. We've put if off long enough," Bruce agreed. "The fact is, I'm not going to change my mind. Wayne Enterprises is my family's company and I have to think about its future and reputation first. Even though it is a separate entity, what LW does reflects on WE. And on me."

"And you really don't see the good that we could do? The lives we can save? Bruce, they're weapons only in the strictest definition. Really, anything can be a weapon in the wrong hands. I think this whole experience proved that. These robots are more than weapons and they can be so much more."

"Indeed, they can be your ticket to Capital Hill," muttered Bruce.

"Bruce, just stop it! You know this is about more than that. I'm not having this argument with you again. If you think this is just about me running for office, you obviously don't know me as well as you say!"

Bruce was taken aback by the force of Lex's response and he realized with some degree of shame that Lex was right. He had been wrong to assume that Lex's commitment to the military bots just about getting elected. If it was, certainly would not have fought him so long about it. Lex would simply have found another way.

Bruce realized that one of the mistakes he often made with Lex was failing to acknowledge that decisions to Lex were seldom black and white. His friend lived in the gray areas in between.

Bruce himself was rarely comfortable in those gray areas, and furthermore, his life was divided differently anyway. He made his decisions largely based on what was good for Bruce Wayne and Batman, with one usually taking priority over the other.

This was about something else and Bruce finally realized what it was.

Bruce rose from the sofa. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, you're right. I have been dwelling too much on the politics thing. I know that's not the only reason you have for wanting to pursue this contract. I'm sorry if I have been implying that it was."

"Well, it wasn't expecting that but I'm glad you see it more clearly now."

"But just because I understand you motivations, doesn't mean I agree with them. I can't, Lex. I can't turn my father's company into a weapons manufacturer. I can't do it. I know it might not make financial sense or even logical sense but it's a decision I have to live with and I'm making it. We make decisions everyday that aren't easy, that aren't always fair but this is one that I know, in my heart, I wouldn't be able to live with."

Lex ran a hand over his head and sighed, then rose from the sofa as well. "Well I guess that's it. When you put it that way, I know I would be wasting my breath to keep trying to change your mind. So what now?"

"Buy me out. Take my name off the books and you're free to do whatever you want."

Lex hesitated. "Are you sure? This was supposed to a partnership."

"And it was a good one. We've outgrown it. We have different goals, it's time to cut out losses and move on. Just promise that when you rebuild, you'll do it in Gotham. This city needs the jobs; it's in far worse shape than Metropolis. That's my one request."

Bruce extended his hand so they could shake on it. Lex accepted it. "Deal, though I'd be lying if I said part of me was disappointed to see this partnership end. I never helped dismantle a global weapons conspiracy in any of my previous business partnerships."

"Well, the partnership is ending, not the friendship. If I run across any more global conspiracies, you're my first call."

Chloe picked that moment to enter and she seemed to sense that something was going on.

"OK, guys, what'd I miss?"

Lex was smiling when he leaned down to kiss her lips briefly. "I'll let Bruce explain."

Bruce wasn't fond of that idea. "Lex—?"

"You'll be fine. I'm going to go call my lawyers started working on an offer. I'll be back in a few minutes." Lex disappeared in the direction of Bruce's study to make his phone call. He seemed in even better spirits then he had been when he first came in with Chloe and Bruce knew he had made the right choice.

Chloe stepped closer to Bruce. "So what's up?"

"We're dismantling the partnership. Lex is buying me out. We were never going to agree on the military applications question. It's better to just part ways and be done with it."

Chloe looked concerned but not surprised. "He's OK with that?"

"He's happy. He gets to make the decisions now. It's what he wanted."

"What about you? Are _you_ OK with that?"

Bruce eyebrows went up. Why did she care? "Why does it matter to you if_I'm_ happy?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, you just seemed to have a very personal reasons why you didn't want to do things Lex's way. I read your emails, remember? I'm surprised that you're just walking away."

Bruce shrugged and exhaled. He wanted to answer her implied question but he wasn't sure she would understand. But then, if she really was in love with Lex, maybe she would.

When Bruce opened his mouth again, his voice was quieter. "He's trying to prove something. I think you know it, too. He jokes about the two of us inheriting our names and he says that the name I got was in much better shape than the one he got. I finally realized today that he's not joking when he says those things. He's hell bent on redeeming the Luthor name. If he thinks this is the only way he can do it, I might not agree with him, but I'm not going to stand in his way."

He watched Chloe chew on her lower lip for a while, a habit he recognized from their time in the cave.

Finally she spoke.

"You know, when you say things like that, it's really hard for me to keep thinking of you as an ass."

Bruce bowed theatrically. "I like to keep you guessing. In fact, I've made it a goal of mine."

She came closer, which should have put Bruce on his guard but he was too busy listening to what she was saying. "Well, best of luck with that. You and Lex are really something, you know? Half the time, you act like you want to kill each other and you bicker like the spoiled brats that you are…and all the while it's very clear to me that you love each other like brothers…"

Bruce had no words…

"…And I'm really glad," she continued, stepping closer and wrapping her arms loosely around him. "It's nice to know that someone else cares about him as much as I do. Thanks."

Now the thing about being Bruce Wayne was his larger-than-life, somewhat cool persona meant that he was generally in control of the amount of physical contact he made with anyone. He initiated handshakes and greetings, he initiated his, albeit rare, sexual encounters with women, and he decided if and when he would show physical affection for others. Naturally, he rarely showed any; it simply wasn't his thing.

It was not surprising, then, that being hugged, hugged, unexpectedly by Chloe Sullivan, was not something he knew how to react to. Therefore he didn't react well.

His entire body stiffened immediately, which caused him to wince even more as his torso muscles, still out of sorts from the fight last night, protested the demands suddenly made upon them.

He had no idea what to do with his hands so for a painfully awkward period of seconds, they hung uselessly at his sides. Finally he brought them up to just above her waist, then somehow remembering her bruised ribs, he lowered them to her waist, mumbling a barely coherent "Sorry" as he did so.

Chloe seemed pretty oblivious at first, as she briefly laid her head on his chest near his shoulder. Rationally, Bruce knew this was just a sign of simple friendly affection from her but the closeness unnerved him.

Still unsure of how displays of affection such as these were supposed to make people feel _better_, Bruce resisted the urge to pull back for several more long seconds before his instincts took over and he simply had to end it. He gripped Chloe's waist and practically lifted her body away from his, almost, but not quite as dramatically as he had lifted and carried her through the Batcave two days ago when he attempted to lock her in the infirmary. Instantly, he realized the mistake of his overreaction and prayed that she would not notice.

No such luck. She looked at him quizzically as he stepped back from her. "Are you OK?"

"Yes…I'm sorry. I'm not…you caught me off guard. I don't...hug many people."

Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly, then shrugged. "OK, no biggie." She then flopped back down onto one of the sofas, grabbing a piece of his newspaper as she did. "Lex was like that too when I first met him. You two really are a pair of bookends, aren't you?"

Bruce stared at her blankly. She was unapologetic about her impulsive hug, despite the fact that it had obviously made him uncomfortable. Now she was joking about it. Unbelievable.

Trying to regain the appearance of composure, he brushed some imaginary lint off the front of his sweater. "Will you and Lex be staying for dinner?" he asked.

Chloe folded down the corner of the paper and peered at him with her bright green eyes that were far too intelligent and inquisitive. "We wouldn't be imposing, would we?"

"No more so than usual. And one could argue that we have a few things to celebrate, don't you agree?"

"That we do. Fine, we'll stay."

"I'll let Alfred know…" Bruce left to do just that, and as the doors to the sunroom shut behind him, he left out the breath he only then realized that he had been holding.

The awkward moment was over, he told himself. It had only lasted a few seconds and she seemed to shrug it off as more evidence of his obnoxious rudeness. It was no big deal.

Still…Bruce couldn't shake the feeling that he had just made a tactical error.

End chapter.


	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_That evening…Lex's Gotham apartment… _

Dinner at Wayne Manor was a more comfortable affair than Chloe would have thought possible. Now that the truth about the explosion was revealed and the crises over, Bruce eased back considerably on his hostile behavior towards Chloe. Not completely, though, she noted. He baited her verbally throughout the afternoon and through dinner, although now it seemed he was just trying to get a rise out of her and Lex.

None of his taunts were too biting, however, and Chloe was rather surprised to see this side of Bruce at all. His sense of humor, while not quite as easy and open as her own or even Lex's, was a welcome change from the brooding Bruce she had known to date.

Bruce and Lex were entertaining to watch. They evidently knew a great deal about one another and tried to use every bit of that knowledge to their own advantage in their debates about business, politics, and other general subjects. They respected one another, that much was clear, but they also knew precisely how to get on one another's nerves, and did so with great enthusiasm.

When the conversation turned to more specific matters, Bruce began relating some embarrassing stories about Lex's "pharmaceutical phase" during their years together at boarding school. Sensing this was a golden opportunity to fill in some gaps in her knowledge of Lex, Chloe pressed Bruce for more and more details until she saw that Lex had reached the end of his patience with the whole conversation. He wasn't really mad, she noticed, but he made it clear that there was only so much reminiscing about that time period he could take.

Chloe sympathetically switched the conversation to some of the stranger goings on around Smallville during their time there. This seemed like a safer subject for Lex and he was eager to share some of the events with Bruce. Bruce seemed fascinated by the recounts and Chloe noticed that he didn't seem at all put off by some of the more "out there" theories they had come up with to explain them. Of course, they left out most of the details about Clark and his special gifts.

It was still somewhat early when they left the Manor as Bruce had claimed "a prior engagement" for later in the evening. His self-satisfied grin said quite clearly that his "engagement" was likely female and that Chloe and Lex were most definitely not invited to tag along.

When they arrived back at Lex's apartment, Lex disappeared into his study to check his messages and Chloe went to the bedroom to call and make sure her father arrived safely in Fresno.

After she hung up, she changed into her nightgown, more out of a desire to be comfortable than anything else. Though, really, if Lex wanted to make love tonight, she was certainly not going to discourage him. They had both been so tired the night before that holding one another had been all they could manage. Plus, her bruised ribs meant they would need to be careful during any intimate activities. But several days without Lex were starting to wear on her.

She winced a bit as she pulled the silky material over her body. Her ribs didn't hurt quite as much as they had while she was in the Batcave. Those first few days, even breathing had hurt. Now she only felt pain if she moved oddly or if she or someone else held or pushed her with too much force, such as when Batman lifted her or when Bruce pushed her away.

Patting the area gingerly, she thought back to how emphatically Bruce had pushed her away and how uncomfortable he seemed when she hugged him. The whole thing just seemed…odd. For someone who quite obviously enjoyed the company of women, it was surprising that he would react that way to a friendly thank-you hug.

But, as she had said, Lex had been that way at one point. Maybe it was a brooding billionaire thing, being in control of any and all touching. She grinned to herself. She'd have to check out that theory on Lex later and see just how much control over…touching he was willing to relinquish.

Still, something about Bruce's reaction bugged her. She just couldn't put her finger on out what.

But she wasn't likely to figure it out while her mind was focused on getting Lex out of his clothes so she pushed all thoughts of Bruce Wayne out of her mind for the night.

Deliberately leaving her robe off, she padded down the hall to find Lex.

He was on the telephone, likely with one of his overseas offices at this time of night, and he was scrolling through his emails on his laptop while he talked. Ever the multi-tasker.

Chloe stopped in the doorway and waited until he noticed her. It didn't take long; he looked up and immediately lost his train of thought in the middle of his sentence. He gave her a very thorough once-over, the heat in his eyes causing very distinct reactions in her body. Smirking at her, he went back to his conversation but motioned for her to come closer.

She did, making sure to walk slowly just to torment him a bit. Her nightgown was short and had a slit up each thigh so he got a good view of her legs each time she stepped.

Chloe rounded his desk and stopped right next to him. She closed his laptop and slid it away with one index finger and slid her hips and bottom up onto his desk right where it had been. Directly in front of him.

As she had expected, he still didn't end the conversation. This was a game for them. He wanted to see how much she would be willing to do while he was still working. She wanted to see how long it would take before he gave up the ruse of paying attention to his call.

She flipped her hair over her shoulders so as not to block his view of what her low-cut nightgown highlighted so nicely. Then she leaned forward and tipped up his chin. He opened his mouth slightly as if he expected her to kiss him. Instead, her fingers found the buttons on his dress shirt and began undoing them. She leaned forward and kissed the smooth muscled flesh just above his heart. When she let her tongue graze over the skin as well, he gasped a bit into the phone and then had to cover it up.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" he said, giving her a mock stern look at her as she grinned up at him. Though she knew damn well that he wasn't talking to her, she flicked her tongue over his flesh again and smiled against his skin as she got a similar reaction.

By this time, she had his shirt all the way unbuttoned and she pushed open both sides so she could run her hands over his smooth chest. It was something she never got tired of.

She kissed each part of his chest that she could easily and ran the tips of her fingers into the grooves of his muscles. She heard and felt his breath hitch in his chest each time she flicked out her tongue against his skin.

Lex was, by this time, clearly aroused and shifting in his seat. He was also trying hard to concentrate on his conversation.

"I'm thinking that agreeing to those kinds of changes sends us down a slippery..." he sucked in breath. "…a slippery slope. There's no reason why Luthor Corp should have to agree to those demands—."

Chloe let her hands wander from his torso to the front of his pants and deliberately stroked him. Lex quickly covered the mouthpiece of the phone so that the person on the other end could not hear him moan. He closed his eyes and threw his head back against the chair.

"Again," he whispered.

She complied, running the tips of her fingers up and down his inner thigh teasingly while she stroked his arousal with the other.

Lex's voice was noticeably shaken when he resumed his conversation. "I…uh…think we need…to have someone on our team…massage…those numbers a bit…"

Chloe giggled and moved her hands from his lap, up his torso again. Bracing herself on his shoulders, she brought herself closer to him until her breasts were level with his eyes. Her position, seated on the edge of the desk while he was in his chair, showed off her body to perfect advantage. The man could only take so much, right?

She looked at him expectantly, then slid one thin strap of her nightgown down her shoulder.

He didn't move and she responded with a frustrated pout. She slid the other strap down.

One corner of his mouth quirked up but he defiantly did not move.

Chloe planted one foot, then the other on his chair, on either side of his thighs. The action gave him a clear view up her nightgown. She got a raised eyebrow.

Fed up, she leaned back on her elbows across his desk, and crossed her legs. She gave a little moan at the friction the movement created. Spreading her legs again she reached down to the hem of her nightgown, prepared to take care of herself on her own. If he was going to be so damn stubborn about things…

He hand was barely on her upper thigh when Lex seized it with his own. His gaze didn't waver from hers as he stood and said into his phone, "We'll finish this conversation tomorrow." He snapped the telephone shut and dropped it onto the floor. With his now free hand, he pulled Chloe closer to him until he was standing between her legs.

Chloe smiled and ran her hands up his chest again. "Does this mean I win?"

"I think we both win."

His kiss was hard and demanding, revealing just how much he had been holding back during their game. His hands were everywhere, running up and down her thighs, over her bottom, up her back and around to the swells of her breasts. Chloe moaned when his thumbs found her nipples. She grasped at his waist as he broke this kiss to taste the sensitive skin underneath her neck and behind her ear.

"I was…God, that's good…I was beginning to think that you weren't interested…"

Lex ground his hips against her. "Does it feel like I'm not interested?"

Chloe groaned and threw her head back, which quite conveniently gave Lex more access to her neck and upper chest.

"…Ummmmmm…. My self control is pretty good but God, Chloe…" he said between kisses, "…you can't expect me to just sit there with you sprawled across my desk touching yourself like that!"

"You didn't even let me get that far."

"That's because it's my job."

Holding her close, he skimmed his hand underneath her nightgown and easily slid his fingers inside of her. She immediately began pumping her hips against his hand, enjoying the exquisite friction. He pinched her and stroked her with practiced rhythm. Chloe gasped out loud, muttered some words that she hoped Lex would recognize as confirmation that he was, indeed, very good at his job.

He raised his lips back to hers and kissed her hungrily before she could respond. She alternately stroked her tongue against his and nibbled at his lips until their mutual need for oxygen forced them to break apart. Still panting, Chloe pulled back only a millimeter or two from his lips to grope for his belt.

* * *

When Lex felt Chloe's fingers fumbling with his belt, his lust-addled brain resumed some degree of functionality.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

Chloe had the belt undone and was struggling with the closure on his dress pants. "Lex...I've been ready since we got back here tonight. If you stop now, I'll have to kill you."

He smiled against her cheek. 'No... I meant...your injuries. I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm just a little sore around the middle." She released his zipper and pushed his pants off his hips. "Everything else is in perfect working order."

Lex groaned at her words. Somehow he managed to toe off his shoes and step out of his pats while not releasing his hold on her. That he managed to not lose it altogether was also a great accomplishment since she was writhing and pushing against him the whole time.

Blindly, he reached for the front of her nightgown, pulling it down further to bare her breasts. He couldn't get enough of the reaction he got whenever he touched and tasted them.

He teased the peaks with his mouth until she was literally clawing at his shoulders and rubbing against him rhythmically – clear nonverbal messages for him to move things along.

Lex cursed to himself when he realized he'd have to let go of her to fish around in the pockets of his discarded pants for a condom.

When he straightened, he didn't even bother to push his boxers all the way off before donning the condom and sinking into her. They were both too anxious to connect with one another again. And there was something very erotic about this frenzied, half-dressed sex. Across his desk no less. Ten year old fantasies come to life. The friction of the silky fabric between their bodies was very good as well.

Careful to avoid touching her middle, he braced on hand on the desk and held her in place with his other hand at her lower back. She tightened her legs around his hips, planting her feet high up on the backs on his thighs for leverage. She was clearly in the mood to give back as much as she took; tightening her muscles around him and meeting his every thrust.

Chloe wasn't going to last long, he could tell. She was already panting heavily into the crook of his neck. That was more than fine with Lex because he wasn't going to last either.

Obviously, this time wasn't about finesse or tenderness; it was about need. They'd had two incredibly passionate nights together and then an abrupt and very cruel separation. Kissing her and sleeping beside her the night before had helped but Lex knew he needed to be inside to feel that she had truly come back to him.

His strokes weren't gentle or slow and, as with every time they were together like this, he worried about being too rough with her.

Then he felt her teeth on his shoulder. Jesus Christ, she was already so far gone that she was marking him. She gripped the muscles at his lower back, pushing him harder and deeper.

The desk was shaking. Items began to fall off the sides. First pens, then piles of papers, then an expensive desk clock. Lex couldn't have cared less. He leaned over her until she was almost flat against the desk and she had to grip the edge far behind her for balance. The new position caused her breasts to bounce completely free of her nightgown.

He sped up his strokes and devoured her lips hungrily before pulling back to enjoy the view of Chloe spread, half-naked underneath him.

She was tensing around him and clawing at his hips, trying to pull him even deeper. Silently, he urged her to raise her legs higher around his hips so he could reach farther inside. He knew the instant he hit the right spot. She hissed his name and began begging for more.

Her mouth was against this neck when she came; he felt the rush of her breath on his skin and the way her fingers dug into his back as her body seized up. He didn't catch if she said his name but the way she clung to him as the spasms washed over her was more than enough to allow him to let go as well.

Her release had happened in waves, and he rode them out, extending his own. Waves of pleasure washed up and down his spine and the blood roared in his ears.

The world could have come to an end outside his study and he would not have cared about anything other than how Chloe was using her body to take everything he had to give.

She collapsed back onto desk, and her legs, still shaking slightly, slid down from his hips. For a long moment, she said nothing, and did nothing except try to catch her breath. Exhausted and covered in a light film of sweat himself, Lex shifted his weight to one side of her and leaned against the desk to catch his own.

Compared to their other times, they hadn't done much talking during the act itself so Lex's voice sounded strange even to his own ears when he spoke.

"Are you OK?

She reached up and kissed his lips very gently. "I'm good, believe me."

Lex desperately wanted to stay where they were and enjoy the stillness but his body told him that he needed to attend to other issues.

"Sweetheart…"

Chloe nodded in understanding and detangled their lower bodies so he could get up.

He took care of the condom in the bathroom adjacent to his study. He fixed his boxers washed his hands and face as well. He had to smile when he realized that they handed even taken his shirt all the way off. By the time he re-entered the study, Chloe was sitting up on his desk, her nightgown once again in place. Her hair was thoroughly disheveled and her skin was pleasantly flushed from the face down to her upper chest. She looked far too sexy like that.

"Unless you're ready to go another round, I suggest you get off that desk."

She grinned at him. "Had a few desk fantasies about me, have you?"

"You have no idea."

Chloe looked around at the files and deck accessories they had knocked to the floor. "Oh, I think I have a vague notion of what you mean." She hopped down and began leading him from the room. "C'mon then, let's get you in a bed so you can rest up For a little while anyway."

"And then what?"

"And then...you'll show me what other pieces of furniture you're particularly fond of."

* * *

_The next morning… Lex's Gotham apartment… _

Chloe and Lex were having a battle of wills over his tie and neither seemed ready to back down.

They were in the kitchen of Lex's apartment and Chloe was seated on the counter, with Lex standing securely between her thighs. Lex was fully dressed for work…with the exception of his tie and Chloe was wearing jeans, and one of Lex's other shirts.

Lex gently batted her hands away. "Chloe…I've tied this thing three times already…"

Chloe's fingers found the silky fabric again and used it to pull him down for another kiss. "Ummmm..." she said, pulling back. "So stop retying it. I like you better without it."

"What's wrong with my tie?"

"Not a thing, as long as you keep it off. You look sexier without it."

"Is that a fact?" he asked huskily.

"It's a fact alright." Chloe pulled him back down for another deep kiss and made sure to loosen his tie again while doing so, just to make her point.

She felt Lex give up fighting with her for the time being, opting instead to focus his energy into pressing his body as closely to hers as their positions would allow.

Chloe slid her hands up to his face and moaned into his mouth as his tongue stroked against hers. If they kept this up, Lex would be losing more than his tie.

They'd has a long night of "getting re-acquainted" and Lex was already late for work. Chloe figured if he was already late, why not make the most of it? And the fact remained, he did look better without a tie.

They parted breathlessly and Lex gave her one of his sexy smirks as he went back to trying his tie. "Be that as it may, I do have some fairly important meetings today. I doubt I could say that I'm not wearing a tie because my… because you think I look sexier without one."

"Yes you could, you're the boss and you were going to say 'girlfriend' there, weren't you?"

"I...yes, I was…does that bother you? I know we said we weren't going to define it. That's why I didn't say it."

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave him one more peck on the lips. "Please, you hired an army to find me and were going to chase down Batman if I didn't come back. I think that says 'girlfriend,' don't you? Plus, my boyfriend ripped my nightgown last night while we were having incredible sex on his bedroom floor and I would like him to buy me a new one."

Lex looked relieved. "Done…and for the record, it wasn't my fault we ended up the floor."

He attempted to secure his tie again and Chloe reached for him, pulled the knot away and began kissing the bits of his neck revealed by his open collar.

"Chloe…." He groaned, a low, desperate sound that came from his throat.

"If that sound you just made is supposed to get me to stop, it totally needs some work."

The doorbell rang and they both froze.

"Now that sound, on the other hand, is a real mood killer," quipped Chloe. "You expecting anyone?"

"No, you?"

"Not really, seeing that I don't live here."

"We should fix that." Lex said as he left the room to answer the door.

Chloe shouted after him reproachfully. "Hey!? Don't joke about things like that and walk away from me!"

"Who said I was joking?" he called back, causing Chloe to almost fall off the counter. He certainly sounded serious but…they had only been together a few days. Surely he wasn't asking…

Chloe hopped down off the counter in just as Lex led Captain James Gordon into the room.

"Captain Gordon! What are you doing here?"

Gordon looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry to bother you both so early… but I went by your apartment and you weren't there. Ted Dandridge suggested that I try here."

Chloe blushed slightly but then shrugged it off. It wasn't as if she and Lex needed to hide anything now.

"It's fine," assured Lex. "Is something wrong?"

"Owen Kline died this morning."

Chloe hesitated before responding. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry to hear that but what does that do to the FBI's case against Mitchell?"

"It shouldn't make a difference. The recordings you provided should be more than enough to convince to plea out. He's looking at the death penalty if he goes to trial. And I agree with Batman, he doesn't want a trial. The difference to you is we no longer need your assault statement. Can't prosecute a dead man."

"That's a relief I suppose. I wasn't really looking forward to that."

"The FBI also asked me to thank you. Obviously they can't recognize your efforts publicly but they wanted you to know they appreciate all you did. As do I."

"You're welcome, I guess, although it was mostly Batman. I was just along for the ride."

Gordon shook his head. "That's not what he said."

Lex glanced at his watch. "I really need to go, will you be alright here?" he asked Chloe.

"Yeah, I'm going to change and head over to Allied later. Go ahead…and fix your tie, it's a mess."

"You're a riot." Lex leaned into kiss her quickly, as he fixed his tie. "I'll call you later."

"We're finishing that other conversation later, too."

"I had no doubt." Lex nodded politely at Gordon and grabbed his briefcase.

When they heard the door shut, Chloe turned to Gordon. "Thanks for letting me know about Kline."

Gordon reached into his pocket. "I also came to return this to you. You're the rightful registered owner. No reason for the PD to keep it." He reached over and laid Chloe's gun, still encased in its evidence bag, in her hands.

"Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten about it. Thanks." She laid the gun on the counter. "Can I ask you a question, Captain?"

"You can ask. I'm not sure I'll be able to answer." His mustache quirked up. "It's about Batman, isn't it?"

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," he said dryly. "What do you want to know?"

Chloe leaned against the counter and stared at the older man levelly. "Everything."

Gordon snorted. "Can you be a little more specific, there, Miss Sullivan?"

"Chloe."

"I'm old-fashioned. I'll stick with 'Miss Sullivan' if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself. How about we start with why you would risk your career and your reputation on a vigilante who dresses like a bat?"

"Miss, that question sounds like it's more about me than about Batman."

"So therefore you should be all the more equipped to answer it."

"I wasn't aware that this was an interview."

"Me asking you a set of questions should be called something else?"

Gordon sighed, then smiled faintly. "You're very persistent, Miss Sullivan."

"Other people have called me worse."

"I bet they have."

"I'm also smart enough to notice that you haven't answered the question yet. Do you plan to?"

"I don't know what kind of answer you're looking for."

"Honest ones are typically my first choice. I'll ask again, why would you put yourself on the line for Batman?"

"Because Gotham needs him."

"We need him? Captain, there are many in this city who would argue that we need a lot of things. More jobs, more affordable housing, better public schools… A six foot bat would be pretty far down most peoples' lists."

"I wouldn't argue that we need all of those things…However, I'm a cop, first and foremost and I can tell you that we weren't going to get far with any or all of those things if the crime rate in this city was still where it was before Batman appeared. We weren't going to get the investment we needed, we weren't going to get the real estate development, and any money poured into our schools was going to be off-set by the gang violence."

"You're telling me Batman fixed all that?"

"Of course it's not fixed; but it's better. Better than it was. Safer than it was. He's been in this town less than a year and you can see the difference. The criminals have something to be afraid of now and that makes all the difference in the world. My cops don't feel quite so helpless when they go out on the streets because the criminals know Batman is on our side, not theirs."

"He's one man."

"Not necessarily."

"Captain? I know he's only one man. He told me so himself!"

"I meant, he's not just one man, he's a symbol. People are more afraid of the symbol than the man. The idea of Batman is more important than anything than the reality. It's not where he is on a given night, it's where he could be and that's anywhere…"

"And I suppose you're going to say that it isn't who he is that's important…it's that he could be anyone."

Gordon shrugged. "It's what I believe."

"Aren't you even curious? Don't you wonder at all who he is? Why he's doing this? How he's doing this?"

"I used to."

"And what happened?"

"I got over it. I know him as Batman. My relationship…my friendship is with Batman. Who he is under the mask is irrelevant. How he became Batman is irrelevant."

"I couldn't help but notice that you skipped a 'why' there. Does that mean you do care why he's doing this, or that you already know?"

"Miss Sullivan…" he paused. "Chloe… I don't think it's advisable for you to dig very deeply into this. This city needs Batman…exactly the way he is. Knowing who he is under the mask serves no one's needs. It will only complicate matters."

"Sometimes the truth is complicated, but that doesn't make us any less entitled to it. Look, I'm not going to publish the guy's identity on the front page of the Gotham Gazette, even if I do figure it out. But I do think that the Gotham PD, the DA's office and everyone else who works with him, cleans up his messes, handles his collars - has the right to know who they're dealing with. Hell, I'm surprised some thug's defense attorney hasn't demanded that their client be allowed to face him in court, mask or no mask."

"We've been lucky on that score but…all this is besides the point, Miss Sullivan…"

"No, I think it's exactly the point. We can't know if we can trust this guy if we don't know who he is. That's the bottom line."

"It's not your decision to make!"

"Whose is it? His? Yours?"

"No! Look, as far as I am concerned, he's earned the city's trust by risking his life every night. You spent a few days with him, are you saying that you don't trust him? Because if you are, I'd say you were lying. I listened to those recordings; I don't believe you really think he's a threat to this city. Deep down, I think he needs this city as much as it needs him. And I think you know it too."

Chloe snorted. "That's a romantic sentiment and whether or not I ascribe to it, that's irrelevant. The fact remains, he answers to no one, not the mayor, not the police, not even you! How long can you expect that to go on? Yes, he's on your side now but even you can't predict what will happen a week from now or a year from now. Just how long of a leash is he on, Captain?"

Gordon didn't answer.

"Yes or no, Captain. Do you know who Batman is, under the mask?"

"No."

"Do you want to know?"

Gordon looked her squarely in the eye. "No, I do not."

Chloe sighed. "Then this conversation is over."

After showing Gordon out of Lex's apartment, Chloe changed into something more appropriate to visit her office in than Lex's shirt and worn jeans. It was one thing for them to publicly acknowledge that they had a relationship; it was another thing to wave it in front of people like a (bright purple, custom-made) flag.

Once dressed, she had one more thing she wanted to do before leaving and that was straighten up Lex's office. Lex might not care but she didn't want the housekeeper to have to clean up the wreck they had made of his office the night before.

As soon she entered the office, however, she collided with the housekeeper.

She was an older woman, with silver streaked black hair, wearing a starched black and white uniform and carrying a waste basket in her left hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, miss."

"No problem, it was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. I didn't hear you come in…And you are…?

The woman looked started that Chloe would even care what her name was. "Anne, miss. I'm here everyday from 10 to 2 when Mr. Luthor is in town. Was there something you needed?"

"It's not Miss, it's Chloe and I just wanted to….um…I'm sorry for the mess in here, I meant to clean it up a bit before you got here…" Her voice trailed off. All the desk accessories were in place again and the papers were stacked in neat piles in the desk.

"It's my job, Miss. Please don't worry," Anne replied with a faint smile. She then disappeared out of the room and Chloe felt slightly foolish and embarrassed. Did the woman know how the desk got messed up. Lord, Chloe wasn't sure she could get used to Lex's maids knowing about her sex life.

Well, perhaps she should have thought of that last weekend, when she left her bra in his sofa cushions.

Chloe shrugged. Too late to worry about it now. She scooped her purse up from one of the chairs and rummaged in it to make sure she had her phone, wallet and other necessities. It was then that she noticed the pile of "Batman-sighting" maps sitting on Lex's desk. Clipped to them was a disk, no doubt holding the electronic versions of these maps.

Chloe instinctively reached for the maps. Her hand then lingered in mid-air over the pile. She nibbled on her lower lip.

Technically, these were Lex's. She really had no right to take them.

But on the other hand, he had only had them compiled because he was looking for her. And now she was back, safe and sound and the maps... Well someone had gone to all the trouble... It would be a shame if they went to waste, especially when she could put them to use...

But still, they belonged to Lex, she couldn't just take them without telling him.

Grabbing the maps and disk with one hand, she dialed Lex's number on her cell with the other.

As expected, she got his voice mail, he did say he'd be in meetings most of the day.

"Hi, it's me. I hope you're day is going well. Um...try not to work too hard. Maybe we can meet for dinner later? Give me a call when you're done being Tycoon Man, OK?"

She took a deep breath to prepare for the next part of the message.

"Bytheway,I'mborrowingthosemapsyouleftonyourdeskforalittle

BatmanprojectI'mworkingon. Thanks. See you later."

She clicked the phone shut and gulped some air. She was so going to need to fix that later. Hopefully Lex wouldn't be too put out.

In the meantime, she had some research to do.

* * *

_Allied Insurance…later that day…_

Ted Dandridge's assistant said he was on a call when she arrived so Chloe went to her own office to wait. She pulled out her laptop and slid in the disk that she had "borrowed" from Lex.

She had rifled through the maps during the cab ride over and had been unable to detect any sort of pattern in Batman's movements. But the maps spanned over three months of sightings, so she decided she would need more than a few minutes and her naked eye to discern any patterns.

Batman was paranoid; she wouldn't put it past him to consciously ensure that his nightly movements were as random as possible. But even he couldn't predict where crimes would take place and crises would occur. And he had to get to each one from somewhere, and in a hurry. There was bound to be some kind of pattern somewhere. She just had to find it.

She loaded the time and date data from the disc into her spreadsheet program and entered in a series of statistical functions for it to run. Those statistics classes she had taken in college may have been interminable at the time but they had taught her a few things.

There was a knock at her door and Chloe didn't bother to look up from her laptop when she called out for the visitor to enter.

She punched a few more keys to direct the program to dump the results on a new sheet and looked up to see Ted smirking at her.

"If more of my employees treated unpaid leave the way you do, CJ, our profitability and our close rate would double in no time."

She blushed. "Well, this isn't exactly related to a case… It's sort of a special project I'm working on…"

"Oh, I think I know exactly what you're working on. I just got off the phone with Jim Gordon. He said you two had an interesting conversation this morning."

Chloe leaned back in her chair and rolled her eyes. "Conversation, yes. Interesting, I guess it depends on your point of view."

"He said and I quote, 'If she weren't so damn stubborn and hard-headed, I'd ask her to come work for the PD.'"

"I suppose that's his idea of a compliment?"

"More or less."

"You can tell him thanks but no thanks. I'm not cut out for the police force."

Ted laughed. "Don't I know it! You'd drive the Commissioner himself raving mad within a month." The smile faded from his face. "Gordon says you're fishing around for Batman's identity. That true?"

"Did you honestly think I could spend all that time with the man without getting a little curious?"

"Not really but… Look, I know that I can't really stop you from researching this on your own time but I think Jim's got a point."

"Ted…." Chloe groaned. "Not you too."

"Hey, take it easy… I'm not saying this as your boss, I'm saying this as your friend. I know this is the kind of mystery you just live for but I have to agree with Jim that there's a lot at stake for this city where Batman's concerned…"

"Batman generates a lot of tourism revenue, does he?" she asked sarcastically.

"Let me finish. The police and a lot of other people in this city believe he's done a great deal to turn the tide on crime. I know how tough it was to be a cop in this city and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. When and if you find anything about Batman, and knowing you, it's probably more when than if, I suggest you keep this in mind, information is power, CJ. And you need to be careful who you use that power over and who you share it with."

"I already told Gordon, it's not like I want to publish the guy's picture on the front page or anything…"

"Then why do you need to know?"

"Ted, we have a right to know who he is…!"

"No, not 'we'. Why do you need to know?"

When Chloe didn't answer, Ted nodded. "Then, I suggest you answer that question before you tilt any more windmills on this one, OK?"

"Yes, sir." Chloe sighed.

Ted turned to leave, then turned back, "By the way, I also talked to HR this morning. They agreed that your recent contribution to the PD and the FBI far outweigh any poor judgment you may have shown in the LW Tech case so effective immediately, your 'unpaid leave' is considered accrued vacation time. You've got quite a bit built up so you can afford to take some more time off before coming back. It'll all be with pay"

"Ted, you didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I did it anyway. And CJ, do me a favor? Try to actually relax at some point in the next couple of weeks. That includes taking a break from your 'special projects'" He looked pointedly at her laptop.

As if on cue, Chloe's laptop beeped and she blushed again. "OK, I'll try."

Chloe returned her attention to the laptop and began reviewing the results that had been produced as soon as Ted closed the door behind him.

On the surface, there wasn't much. Some more concrete stats to work with. That always helped. 61 of Batman' recorded activities occurred in the Narrows, which was no surprise. The Narrows had the highest crime rate in the city. 93 of Batman's recorded activities occurred between 10 PM and 3 AM. There were no meaningful recording activities during daylight hours. Only unconfirmed sightings, which theoretically, could be chalked up to the population's paranoia about the Bat.

"What is he, a vampire or something?" Chloe wondered aloud. Then she remembered seeing his reflection on several surfaces in the Batcave. Not to mention his image on the cameras. So much for the vampire theory.

Maybe he really did have a day job. Or maybe he just slept all day to prepare for the grueling night schedule.

She dug deeper into the results. On 59 of the dates, Batman's last recorded action of the night took place in the northwest section of the city, right inside the city limits, not far from where Gotham's affluent suburban developments started. Chloe knew the area well as many of Allied's wealthier clients lived in the area. In fact, she ad Lex had been there just days before as Bruce Wayne's mansion was in the one of the most exclusive subdivisions. Fancy place. Not exactly gang territory. Since Batman's niche was street thugs and gangs that seemed like an odd palace for him to close out the night.

She scrolled down and cross-referenced the maps again.

On 55 of the nights, Batman's first recorded activity took place in the northwest Gotham as well.

That had to mean something.

He was coming and going. Into the city and out. Doing his first job of the night or his last. That made sense.

Chloe racked her brain to recall the conversations she had had with Batman in the cave.

"Where are exactly are we?"

"Near Gotham, That's all I can tell you."

Well, that made sense. But if that were true, that would mean his cave, his home base, as it were, was outside the city somewhere in or around Gotham's wealthiest homes.

Did that mean Batman was funded by one of Gotham's wealthy patrons? Perhaps. He had to pay for his equipment somehow. But if that were true, Chloe would need to know both who Batman was and who was bankrolling him. She'd have to follow the money trail.

Still, Chloe could not help but find it odd that Batman would take orders from anyone. It was all so very odd. He had seemed so stubborn and in control in the cave. Who could he possibly answer to?

* * *

_Chloe's loft…later that afternoon…_

Chloe arrived at her apartment two hours later and was surprised to find a worried looking Harvey Dent on her doorstep.

"Harvey! What are you doing here?"

"Me!!? I'm not the one who told you that I was in deep in a case and then disappeared for week. Are you alright? Where were you? All Ted would say was that you were OK but you had to be away for a while!" As he spoke, he hugged her and pulled back to look her over.

"Harv, Harv, I'm fine. Calm down. C'mon, let's go inside. We can talk there."

She unlocked her door and led him to the living room where she set down her purse and gestured for Harvey to sit.

Chloe ran her hand through her hair before sitting down across for him.

"I'm sorry you worried but the case I was on, sort of turned into something else and I had to lie low for a while. I wish I could say more but I don't even think your office with be handling it. It's kind of…for lack of a better term, confidential."

Harvey looked confused. "This wouldn't have anything to do with whatever went down at the Art Museum the other night, would it? No one in our office can make heads of tails of it. It's been pulled away from us. Apparently, the Feds are handling it."

Chloe cringed. She knew Harvey hated being left in the dark. "You know the drill, I can't confirm or deny."

Harvey leaned back in his chair and sighed. "There are all kinds of rumors flying around about that. People are saying Batman was there. That's there was some kind of military angle. It didn't sound anything like your case."

"My case turned out to be very different than what I thought it was. That's all I can say." She brightened. "But I'm back now, I'm OK, and I'm really sorry you were worried."

Harvey smiled. "Well, what can I say, of all my exes, you're the only one who doesn't hate me. That has to count for something, right?"

"Who could hate you, Harvey? Of all the men I know, you're the easiest to figure out. What you see is what you get. Mr. Workaholic." Chloe stood. "You want something to drink?"

"That'd be great."

Chloe led him to her kitchen and pulled out two glasses and two soft drinks since she knew Harvey rarely drank anything stronger this early in the day.

"I know you can't say anything," Harvey began, watching as Chloe added two cubes of ice to each glass, "but I really am curious about whatever it was that happened at the Museum the other night. You wouldn't believe the gossip that's floating around. I mean, there's always gossip in the DA's office but this is out of hand."

Chloe fought to keep her voice casual as she poured their drinks. "What kinds stuff are they saying?"

"Well, the Feds being involved makes everyone think there's a military or international angle, no one's quite sure which. I mean, the feds wouldn't get involved if it was something run of the mill like phony art, right? Then there's the rumors that some people got shot over there so there's all kinds of conjecture about who the shooter was, was it the cops, the Feds, who knows?"

Chloe nodded but didn't say anything. She handed Harvey his drink and took a swig of her own.

"And then from some of the new people, there's all kinds of Batman gossip. Really, though, some of them should know better… You know, I shouldn't be talking to you about this. I don't want to put you in a bad position, CJ."

"No it's OK. I can't say anything but I don't mind listening to you. I know it must be hard for you guys not to have the case."

"It is," Harvey agreed. "We can get a little territorial with the Feds sometimes."

"I know, we investigators can get that way with the cops sometimes." Chloe raked her teeth over her lip. "Um….so what are your colleagues saying about Batman? What did you mean when you said they should know better?"

"Oh, umm….it's actually pretty strange. Some people were saying that Batman shot one or both of the men at the museum and that's why the Feds circled the wagons but that's absurd. First of all, I don't see the Feds covering for a vigilante, I mean, c'mon, that's straight out of a comic book. Secondly, Batman wouldn't shoot anyone."

"How can you be so sure? You just said, he's a vigilante."

Harvey shook his head. "He just wouldn't. My office has been handling Batman's collars for a year now. That's hundreds of cases, and there hasn't been one, not one case where a defendant reports that Batman used a gun. I can tell you it makes our jobs easier because it gives the defense attorneys less to harp about." He took a long swing of his drink and Chloe processed this information. "Still it is kind of odd that someone who comes up against the kinds of people he does wouldn't have needed to pull a gun at some point."

Her voice was barely above a whisper when she finally spoke. "Batman's never used a gun, ever? Are you sure?"

"Not that we can tell."

"How come this has never come out in the news?"

"Well, most of the ADA's know but the DA and the police told us that we shouldn't talk about Batman to the press. It's tricky enough prosecuting his cases without adding more rumors to the mix. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it to you but, Hell; I know I can trust you. You know the rules, right?"

Chloe's head was spinning. "I'm not buying this, there has to be some incident where someone's at least seen him with a gun."

Harvey shrugged his shoulders. "If there is, we haven't found it. The fact is, most of us are convinced that he doesn't even carry one."

And it all began to fall into place.

Harvey's deep voice faded away as memories and images of the previous weeks swirled in Chloe's mind.

"…_Bruce Wayne doesn't like guns…."_

"…_Wayne Enterprises has no desire to become a weapons manufacturer…."_

"…_the most effective weapon is the element of surprise…"_

"…_Lex and I were never going to agree on the weapons question…"_

"…_near Gotham, that's all I can tell you…"_

"…_Gotham is my responsibility…"_

The locations. The time and date patterns. The money.

Everything was finally coming together. How could she have missed it?

She remembered Batman lifting her up in the cave. Bruce lifting her as he pushed her away in his sunroom.

It was all right there. It had always been right there. He had always been right there.

The next thing she heard was the sound of her own glass shattering on the floor.

* * *

_Wayne Manor…later that evening…_

Bruce Wayne was already tugging at his tie when he walked through the doors of Wayne Manor that evening. His day had gone longer than he planned what with the meetings with his attorneys over the sale of his interest in LW Tech. He had hoped to be home two hours earlier to have some time in the cave before Batman had to head out for his patrol. As it was, he barely had time to eat dinner and suit up before nightfall. There were rumors of some gang-related activity on the south side that needed Batman's attention before midnight.

He headed towards the smaller dining room where Alfred typically had dinner waiting for him but his butler stopped him before he could get far.

"Master Bruce, there's a package waiting for you."

Bruce sighed, "Put it in my study, Alfred, I'll look it at later."

"Sir, it was delivered by special messenger only a short time ago. The instructions said it is to be opened by you and you alone."

That got Bruce's attention.

"Who's it from?"

"There's no return address, sir."

Bruce extended his hand and Alfred handed over the small padded envelope. He then stepped over to a low side table to open it.

Frowning slightly, Bruce's eyes skimmed over the package. His name was printed clearly on it in simple, non-descript letters. There were no other markings. He ripped the seal and tapped the end so the contents would slide out onto the table.

One of Batman's bat-a-rangs clanked onto the polished wood. The sharpened points were precise, the color of the metal familiar. There was no doubt that it belonged to Batman. Bruce felt a lurch in his chest.

No…

"My word," gasped Alfred.

Bruce reached into the envelope again and pulled out a plan white card, which read simply:

_We need to talk._

-C.J. Sullivan

End chapter.


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Bruce Wayne closed his eyes and breathed deeply for several seconds. He needed to clear his mind. Find his center. Calm his racing heart. Panicking right now wouldn't solve anything.

Faintly he heard Alfred's footsteps fading away, the older man had obviously recognized that he needed to be alone right now.

He could handle this. He had successfully balanced being Bruce Wayne and Batman for a year now. There had been close calls before. This was no different.

He tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him no one had come this close before. Chloe had been in the cave with Batman for days and she had been close to Bruce Wayne. She alone would be able to notice any similarities between the two.

* * *

Chloe leaned over her sink and splashed the cold water that pooled in her hand across her checks, her forehead, and jaw. Once. Twice.

She straightened and dabbed at her skin with a towel, studying her reflection in the mirror. If confronting Bruce Wayne was going to work, she had to remember to school her expressions carefully. She had to be as cool as the water she had just washed her skin with. She couldn't let that fact that she felt angry, foolish, and betrayed seep through.

She would have to wear a mask if she intended to strip him of his.

* * *

Bruce clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut.

However astute Chloe Sullivan thought she was, he could outwit her.

His years of training had not just been physical. His mind had been shaped by the some of the greatest martial arts teachers and strategic thinkers in the Far East. Alfred had taught him dramatic skills known only to Britain's most-revered Shakespearean actors. His mastery of the Bruce Wayne persona still gave him a fighting chance.

She didn't know anything, not really. She only suspected. He had to prove to her that her suspicions were wrong.

The problem was, he had to go to her. And as Bruce Wayne. He could not have her in the manor, only steps from the irrefutable proof of her suspicions.

No, he would need to go to her apartment, as she herself had planned. She had printed her address on the note. Arrogantly daring him to go to come to her.

He would make that one concession but the rest of the game would be his.

Going to Chloe's apartment would obviously set him back tonight in his nightly patrol but it could not be helped. Attending to Chloe Sullivan was now Batman's top priority.

* * *

Chloe looked at the clock. Bruce should have gotten her message by now and he would be there soon.

Her message could not have been more direct so there was no doubt that he would come right away. After making an excuse to Harvey that she was still tired from her ordeal, Chloe had numbly cleaned up the mess she had made. Her brain had been in as much disarray as the shattered glass on the tile floor. Once it was done, she pulled herself together and made her plan. She still had the two bat-a-rangs Batman had left in her apartment. She only needed one to send her message. The remaining one she needed for other reasons, to practice with, for one. It was now on her coffee table, an unmistakable symbol that he would see when he arrived.

Which would be soon.

She changed out of her cola-stained slacks into jeans and a t-shirt. She then switched both her cell and home phones to voice mail. All that was left to do was sit on her sofa to wait.

* * *

_Chloe's apartment…a short while later…_

Bruce smoothed back his hair and knocked assertively on the door of Chloe's apartment. He had to remember that this was his first visit as Bruce Wayne and he had to behave accordingly. She would be watching for obvious familiarity since she believed that he had visited here twice before.

His attire consisted of his work suit though he had carefully loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar. He knew he looked confident and in control but somewhat carefree. And that's what he was going for. He planned to plead ignorance, flash his Bruce Wayne smile and look utterly shocked at her absurd accusations. He couldn't appear rattled or concerned. Simply bewildered that anyone would suspect a spoiled playboy like himself of being a masked vigilante.

She opened the door and immediately gestured for him to enter. Her pretty features revealed nothing.

He lingered in the foyer as she closed the door and turned back to face him.

"You wanted to see me?"

She nodded. "Have a seat."

Bruce made a point to look confused as to where she wished him to go, though he knew damn well she expected him to sit in the living room.

Chloe took in his act with a smile. "Is that how we're going to play this? Fine, through there." She pointed towards an arched doorway. "I'll get us some drinks."

Bruce seated himself on one of the sofas and crossed his legs casually. He took note of the bat-a-rang resting on the table and purposely didn't react to it.

Chloe appeared a minute later, carrying a bottle of red wine and two glasses. She set the glasses on the table and poured them each some wine.

"I hope you like red. It's all I have," she said sitting down.

"Red's fine though I admit I am more of a scotch man myself," he answered

"Even when you're 'on duty'?"

"Pardon?"

Chloe smiled. "You're really going to try this with me, aren't you?"

"I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about. You're the one who sent me a cryptic message with some bizarre piece of metal attached. I came here out of deference to my friendship with Lex and your recent assistance with our…business problem but frankly I find myself in the rather familiar position of being unable to read your mind, Miss Sullivan."

Chloe took a sip of her wine. "Well, if you can't read my mind, then read my lips; 'I've figured it out,'" she said slowly.

Bruce casually scratched behind his ear. "Figured what out?"

"This…" she replied, holding the bat-a-rang up between two fingers. "…and you."

"I still don't know what that is and what is has to do with me."

"You're a brilliant actor, Bruce, but you're wasting my time."

"And as usual, you're wasting mine. I seem to recall another conversation in which you spouted cryptic accusations at me. Is this a new hobby of yours, something you plan to pursue regularly?"

"Funny you should mention that particular conversation. As it turns out, I was right after all. You really did blow up that plant, didn't you?"

Bruce gave an exaggerated groan. "And we're back to this… Just how many knocks to the head have you taken anyway? Let me update you. The matter of the plant explosion has been resolved. The mess has been cleaned up, the bad guy's in prison. The only reason I still need to tolerate you at all is the fact you're sleeping with my best friend. Are we all caught up now?"

Chloe smiled through his calmly delivered speech, turning the bat-a-rang in her fingers.

"How do you suppose he'd react if I told him?"

"Excuse me?" Bruce sighed.

"Lex. The best friend you just mentioned. How do you suppose he'd react if I told him that it was you who kept me locked away in cave for a week? Away from him? That you knew where I was the whole time and you lied to him anyway? This is just a guess but I don't think he'd take it well, do you?"

Bruce stopped his jaw from clenching, knowing that might give something away. He kept his voice light and detached.

"I think he'd say it's time for you to lay off the wine."

Chloe's mouth became a thin line. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to adjust her strategy since he was not taking her bait.

Finally she spoke. "So how many people know?"

"Know that you're delusional? Well, there's me for one…"

Chloe forged on. "I would imagine that Alfred knows; I doubt you can hide much from him. Oh, be sure to tell him that he makes excellent soup, by the way. The vegetable one he served me in the cave was delicious…"

"I will certainly do that," Bruce answered condescendingly. "And I'll also be sure to tell the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus that you said hi. Will that be all?"

"Gordon doesn't know; that much is clear. So that would mean that the rest of the PD is in the dark as well…"

Bruce leaned back and pasted an amused smile on his face.

"But then there's the matter of the good doctor…."

Bruce fought to keep the smile in place. Surely she couldn't have figured out…

"Yes, I do know who she is. Once I suspected, well, the truth…I did a little check into your background and there she was. Clear as day, Dr. Leslie Thompkins. She was one of your guardians when you were a child, wasn't she? She's listed in all the court documents and the news articles about your childhood. Anyway, do you think she would mind if I called and thanked her for taking care of my injuries?"

Bitch.

He could not allow her near Leslie. Alfred could handle Chloe's questions but Leslie, Leslie was too open, too trusting.

"I suggest…I strongly suggest that you leave Dr. Thompkins out of your delusions, if you don't mind. I've humored you up to this point but I won't have you harassing other people I am close to." Bruce was angry at himself when he heard his own tone. There was an unmistakable edge to it that he was sure she would pick up on. She would know that she had finally rattled him.

"Dr. Thompkins seems like a strong woman, not unlike myself. I think we'd get along and I'm sure she could handle a friendly conversation with me. After all, I only want to thank her."

Bruce calmly rose to his feet and smoothed down his jacket. He refused to show any form of weakness, least of all his rising anger for her games.

"I think you've wasted enough of my time, Miss Sullivan. I'm certain we'll meet again soon and in the meantime, I suggest you start taking your medication…"

Chloe didn't stand to stop him. She didn't even argue. What she did do was unexpected.

Still seated, she tightened her fingers around the bat-a-rang and flung it at him. It was an amateurish toss but still fast enough to require a quick reaction.

And he did react. Too well.

His right hand flew up and he caught it between his long fingers, being careful to snap his grip and avoid the sharpened points as he had been taught and had practiced hundreds, maybe thousands of times before. He felt his own eyes go wide as the reality of the action sunk in.

Chloe's sharp green eyes rose to meet his and she smiled. "Nice catch. Now sit down, Batman. We're not done talking yet."

* * *

_Lex Luthor's car... somewhere between Luthor Corp. and Chloe's apartment…_

Lex dialed Chloe's cell phone for the third time. A moment later he cursed as her voice mail clicked in. He had no better luck with her land line.

Something wasn't right. He had told her he would be in meetings all day but the implication seemed to be that they would see each other after he left work. She had been vague about her day but mentioned something about stopping into her office at Allied.

Then came that bizarre message on his voice mail about dinner and that she was "borrowing" his maps and working on some Batman project.

He knew the tone in Chloe's voice when he heard it. She was likely up to her neck in this Batman mystery and she wouldn't stop until something broke. It wasn't like he expected any less of her but now he was worried.

She wasn't answering calls and she hadn't called him back.

Had she found something about Batman? Had she confronted him in some way?

Once again, Lex's worries about Batman's stability began tying him in knots.

He had only just gotten Chloe back. He wasn't about to lose her again.

He pressed his foot on the gas harder and continued speeding towards Chloe's apartment.

* * *

_Meanwhile…Chloe's apartment…_

"What did you call me?"

Bruce was still standing holding the bat-a-rang and Chloe was back to sipping wine from her glass.

"You heard me."

"I think there's been some mistake here." He flipped the bat-a-rang over in his fingers and slipped it into his pocket. Chloe wondered if the move was even conscious.

"I agree."

"You do?"

"Of course, you seem to think you can make a fool out of me and that's a mistake."

"No one is trying to make a fool out of you, Miss Sullivan, least of all me."

"Is that a fact?" Chloe set her glass on the table, rose, and came to stand right in front of him. He seemed to be fighting the urge to take a step back from her. He was clearly uncomfortable with this entire situation. As he should be. Chloe hadn't felt this kind of power in a long time.

"Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? Did you think I was that stupid? Or that you were just that good?"

To his credit, Bruce only stared back, barely blinking.

Now that the truth was clear, she could _see_ Batman in him. In his eyes, in his jaw line, in the way his suits were carefully tailored to disguise his wide back and shoulders. In the way he seemed to suck all the light out of a room, as he was doing now.

"You are good, by the way, but not good enough to hide from me. I think a lot of it really had to do with luck and timing. If I hadn't been in cave, certainly, I doubt I would have figured it out at all. There were little things too. Little pieces of information that just happened to come my way and suddenly…" she snapped her fingers under Bruce's nose. "There it was. Right in front of me. You'd been there all that time."

She watched as the muscles moved in Bruce's throat and still he said nothing.

"What, no more vehement denials?"

"You haven't believed anything I have said so far. Why should I think you'll start now?"

"Answering a question with a question, classic misdirection. Too bad I'm very familiar with that tactic."

"I'm not trying to misdirect you."

"Bullshit. Your life, your entire existence as Bruce Wayne, is all about misdirection. The simpering, flirtatious, and slightly dimwitted playboy act? The fact that no one outside your inner circle at Wayne Enterprises even knows that there's a brain inside that head of yours, let alone a brilliant one. That's how you want it, isn't it? If anyone suspected that you could string two thoughts together about a subject other than bedding socialites, they might get close to the truth, the truth about who you really are."

"Stop it! You don't know what you're talking about!" Bruce suddenly backed away and turned away from her, the increased volume of his voice the first real acknowledgment that she had shaken him.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about and that's the problem. Your life is one giant ruse and someone's finally figured it out!"

"Chloe, you need to stay out of this! This is none of your business!"

She wasn't about to let him off that easy. She marched back in front of him, squarely inside his personal space and pushed at his chest with both hands.

"It's not my business who broke into my apartment and slammed me up against that wall? It's not my business who stuck me in a cave for almost a week?" she shouted.

She pushed at his chest again. It might has well have been made of granite for all the good it did in moving him but she was making a point. She wasn't afraid of him.

Bruce grabbed her wrists to stop her shoving. "After I saved your life! Or have you forgotten that part?!" he shouted back. "You'd be at the bottom of the Gotham River if it weren't for me!"

"And you'd have never walked out of that museum alive if it weren't for me. Or have you forgotten that?"

"Don't flatter yourself. You were nothing but an enormous distraction. If I had gotten killed that night, it would have been because of you!"

Ungrateful bastard.

Chloe freed her right hand and slapped him across the face. One of her nails caught on his check and scratched an angry red mark across his jaw. He grabbed for her wrists again in reaction and hissed out his next words.

"Dammit, Chloe! Listen to me...!"

"Not until you let go of me!"

There was a sound from the foyer and Bruce turned towards it instinctively. Chloe took advantage of his distraction. She pushed back at Bruce's body with a force she didn't know she had. More force than she actually intended.

He stumbled back and landed on the edge of the coffee table, sending it, the wine and the glasses shattering to the floor with him.

In the quiet apartment, the sound of the crash was deafening.

"What in the Hell is going on here?!!!" a voice shouted.

Chloe looked towards the door.

Shit.

Lex.

* * *

_Chloe's apartment..._

It didn't occur to Lex that he was running down the hallway to Chloe's apartment until he had to stop. He skidded to halt at her door, scraping the soles of his shoes. As he fumbled in his pocket for the key she had given him, he heard voices coming from the inside. Agitated, angry, voices.

He unlocked the door and burst into the foyer in time to hear a familiar voice shout, "...it would have been because of you!"

Then came was the smacking sound of flesh against flesh.

"Dammit, Chloe! Listen to me...!"

"Not until you let go of me!"

Lex made it through the foyer and to the entryway to the living room in time to see Chloe push Bruce hard enough to send him crashing onto her coffee table.

Lex watched in amazement as his friend landed hard, first on the table, which gave way under his considerable weight, then hit the floor. Wine glasses and a bottle crashed around him, the burgundy liquid pooling on the parquet floor.

"What in the Hell is going on here?!!!" Lex shouted.

Chloe, who had been looking shocked at what she had done to Bruce, turned to him with wide eyes and didn't say word.

Bruce, lying semi-prone on the floor amid the sticky liquid and shards of glass and wood, groaned and shook his head as if trying to clear it.

Without stopping to think, Lex crossed the room and extended his hand to help Bruce up. Once Bruce was on his feet again, dripping and still covered with bits of glass, Lex looked from one to the other, waiting for some kind of explanation.

None came.

"Is one of you going to explain what's going on here?"

Bruce and Chloe were staring at one another and despite knowing both of them better than almost any two people in the world, Lex couldn't read either of their expressions clearly.

They seemed to be daring one another to speak but Lex could not be sure.

"Now I thought this little antagonistic thing you two had going on was over, or that in the very least, it was just something you kept doing to piss each other off... I realize now that I was wrong. You two really do want to kill each other, is that it?"

He placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder and shoved the other man into nearby chair. "You, sit there and don't move, don't talk, don't blink until I say so. Breath if you feel lucky."

Quite uncharacteristically, Bruce did not protest. He simply dropped his weight into the chair and shook his arms to dislodge some errant glass.

Lex turned to Chloe and took her wrists in his hands. His voice was softer when he spoke to her. "Are you OK?" He ran his eyes and fingers over her forearms looking for bruises or any other signs of injury before raising his gaze to her face.

"I'm fine." She was looking at him but she was distracted. Her gaze kept flicking over to Bruce.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"I'm fine." her eyes flicked back to Lex and she realized what he was asking. "It isn't what it looks like, believe me. We just had a disagreement."

"That made you push him through your coffee table?"

Chloe's eyes flicked back to Bruce.

"Chloe?" Lex repeated. "Are you going to answer me? What the hell were you two arguing about?"

When she didn't answer or even look at him, Lex followed her gaze to Bruce, who was still staring intently at Chloe. They seemed to be having some kind of battle of wills.

One that he was not a part of.

Lex dropped Chloe's hands and crossed the room to stand in front of Bruce; he jerked Bruce's face to the side to reveal the mark left by Chloe's hand.

"She did that for a reason and you've got ten seconds to tell me that reason or I'm going to assume that it's the worst possible reason..."

"And then you'll do what?" challenged Bruce, rising to his feet. It was the first thing he had said since Lex had raced into the room.

"Then I'm going to see if your sorry ass can crack through that window over there as well as it did that table."

Bruce said nothing.

Lex was growing impatient. "Five seconds!"

"Lex, I just told you...we had a disagreement!" Chloe interrupted.

"And neither of you will tell me what it was about!"

"Say something, you idiot, or he'll kill you!" Chloe hissed to Bruce.

"I highly doubt that, and besides, this is all your fault. _You_made this mess, you clean it up." Bruce spat back.

"The only thing I did was figure things out. You're the one who created the situation, you thick headed, ungrateful—"

"Interfering bi—"

Lex grabbed the front of Bruce's shirt. "Finish that sentence and I skip the window and head right to the balcony. Understood?"

"Jesus, Lex…" Bruce said, trying to pry Lex's fingers off of him. "Just calm down."

"I will calm down as soon as one of you answers my questions!"

"Bruce, he's only getting angrier. He's your best friend! Say something. It can't be worth this!" Chloe pleaded.

"It is!" Oddly enough, to Lex it seemed like Bruce was pleading as well. Just what the hell were they talking about?

"It's not!"

"Yes, it is! Don't you get it? It is to me!"

Then something strange happened. Something unexpected. Chloe backed down. Her shoulders slumped and she flopped down onto the sofa, face in her hands. "Let him go, Lex."

"Chloe, he—"

"Just do it! He's not going to answer you. You could dangle him over the balcony all night; he's not going to say anything."

Bruce watched as Chloe steepled her handed over the lower half of her face, ignoring the puzzled look Lex was giving her. Lex let go of Bruce's shirt and turned towards Chloe.

"He's not going to say anything about what? Chloe?" Lex asked.

She didn't answer him, she was busy talking to herself. "I can't believe I let myself do this again…Stupid, stupid…"

Bruce had no idea what Chloe was talking about but right now he didn't care. He had other concerns.

As if reading his mind, Chloe looked up at him. "Just leave, Bruce. I'm sorry this turned into such a mess, I really am. I didn't mean for it to, I just didn't think it through."

Bruce asked her the obvious question with his eyes.

She shook her head. "I won't say anything. To anyone. You have my word. Just go."

Bruce deliberately avoided looking at Lex as he left the room. He appreciated that Chloe was giving him an exit out of this tense affair but he did not envy her the conversation she would now need to have with Lex.

Lex was angry and now being shut out of something by the woman he was in love with was certain to add more fuel to the fire.

There was no doubt in Bruce's mind that he should leave. For Batman's sake. For the mission's sake, the larger mission. Yes, it would mean that his relationships with both Chloe and Lex were essentially over… but there were more important things to consider.

He wasn't being selfish. He was being realistic.

The sounds of his shoes on the floor of the foyer underscored the lack of sound coming from the other room. Bruce had his hand on the door knob when he heard Lex finally speak.

"I told you I was in love with you. You didn't say it back. Is this why? Have the two of you been making an ass of me behind my back?"

"What?" Chloe cried. "No! What just happened here had nothing to do with you and me! How can you even ask me that?"

"How can I ask you that? You just promised another man that you would lie to me for him. What am I supposed to think?"

"I'm not lying to you for him. I…just can't tell you everything…it's complicated. Lex, there is nothing, I swear, nothing between Bruce and myself."

There was the sound of debris scraping against the floor. "This doesn't look like nothing to me! It didn't sound like nothing to me halfway down the hall!"

Bruce slipped his hand into his pocket and touched the cool metal of the bat-a-rang.

Lex was speaking again. "You walked away from me because I didn't tell you the whole truth about the explosion. And now you expect me to just stand here while you do the same thing?"

"It isn't the same thing…"

"Yes, it is…lies of omission, just like your father said…"

"I understand why you had to lie to me, and I let it go; now I'm asking you to do the same!"

"So you admit that you are lying to me? For Bruce!"

Bruce walked back into the room at that moment and Lex turned to him as soon as he appeared in the doorway. "She told you to leave."

In one smooth motion, Bruce extracted the bat-a-rang from his pocket and flung it expertly. It sliced through the air between Chloe and Lex and one of the sharpened points lodged itself in the one end of the coffee table still left standing.

"What the Hell—?" Lex asked. He stooped down to eye the piece of metal, and then looked back at Bruce. "What the devil is this?"

"It's called a bat-a-rang." Chloe answered. "Batman makes them and uses them as kinds of multi-purpose weapons."

"And why do you have it?" Lex asked Bruce.

"Because it's mine."

He waited as this information sunk in. He knew the moment Lex made the connection. The way he had thrown the weapon, the 'disagreement' with Chloe, it should all be obvious now.

"You?" Lex whispered. "All this time…it's been _you_?" He turned to Chloe. "And you _knew_?"

"I only figured it out today. I asked Bruce over here to confront him. That's when we argued. I thought people had a right to know. That's why I went digging in the first place. I didn't suspect it was Bruce until it all came together a few hours ago."

"Why weren't you going to tell me?"

Chloe pressed her hands against her forehead. "When I figured it out, I wanted to confront him. I just wanted to let him know that I knew. Everything happened so fast…I didn't take any time to think about it or about how Bruce might react. Then you showed up and it became clear that he didn't want you or anyone else to know, even if it meant never speaking to you again. That's when I realized that this was more important to him than I gave him credit for. Lex, it wasn't that I didn't trust you or that I was more loyal to him than you… this was just his secret and his decision… I realized that I was being that person again, that person that was so single-minded in obtaining information that it didn't matter who I hurt. I didn't want to be that person again… I'm not sixteen anymore, I should know better than to go around wrecking people's lives."

Lex ran his hand over his head as he attempted to process this information. He was silent for several long moments. He simply paced, breathed heavily and looked at Chloe occasionally.

For her part, she stood back and let him work through whatever he needed to work through in his head.

Then suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Lex pounced on Bruce, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the nearest wall.

For the second time that night, Bruce found himself caught completely off his guard. His body slammed into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Lex was obviously stronger than Chloe so when his head and torso hit the wall this time around, it hurt much more.

"You! You had her locked in a cave all that time?!!! All that time, knowing that I was going out of my mind worrying about her?"

Then Chloe's hands were on Lex's arms. "Lex, stop it; it's over. Don't start this now. I wasn't locked away. There was no other way. You know that!"

"You looked in my face and asked me how much I cared about her! What the Hell was that, some kind of test?!!! Some kind of sick joke?!!" Lex leaned on Bruce's windpipe more and he started gasping for air. There were at least seven different ways Bruce could have freed himself from Lex's hold but he didn't. He knew he deserved this.

"Lex! Just let him go!"

"He shouldn't need me to let go. Isn't that true? He is Batman after all. Gotham's very own hero? Go ahead, break my arm, crack my skull. Show me what you can do!"

When Bruce refused to move, Lex grunted something under his breath. Then he reached back and punched Bruce in the face, connecting with his nose and upper lip.

Bruce did nothing to deflect the blow.

Evidently frustrated or simply sick of the whole thing, Lex relinquished his hold on Bruce, stepped away, kicked at some of the debris on the floor, then collapsed down on the sofa with his head in his hands.

Chloe tilted her head at Bruce. "Leave. Now."

This time Bruce listened.

He blindly made his way out of the apartment, and out of the building. It wasn't until on the sidewalk outside that he allowed himself to recognize the dull ache on his face and that fact that his nose and mouth were bleeding.

He wanted nothing more than to go home and forget this whole night ever happened but when he looked up, he knew that he couldn't. The bat signal was beaming up against the reddish black Gotham sky.

His night was only just beginning.

* * *

Chloe watched the bat signal shining outside the window and realized that Bruce was going to go out tonight after all this. The reality of the tremendous burden he took on, in addition to the enormity of simply being Bruce Wayne hit her… She couldn't imagine how he made it through the day.

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to where Lex was sitting on the edge of the sofa. He wasn't looking at her and she had no idea if he was still angry. She wouldn't know until he was ready to talk and it certainly didn't look like he was ready now.

So she went to kitchen and found a bucket and some old towels. She returned and began picking up the larger prices of glass and wood from the floor. Not only would she be needing a new coffee table, her glassware collection had taken a beating today. She worked in silence for several minutes and then Lex knelt down on the floor next to her and began helping her pick up the pieces. Gently, he pushed her hands out of the way and took over the clean-up job himself while Chloe leaned back on her ankles to watch him. His mouth was a firm, thin line and his looked exhausted. He made an odd sight, still wearing his expensive suit while cleaning up the mess on her floor. She noted with some ironic amusement that his tie was off.

Once all the glass and smaller wood pieces were safely collected, Lex dismantled what was left of the table. He then mopped up the wine with the towels and carried it all to the kitchen trash area.

When he returned, Chloe noticed that he had the bat-a-rang in his hand. He knelt next to her.

"I knew…I knew that he had his secrets. I knew there were things about himself that he didn't share with anyone, not even me. I just didn't realize… This is a whole other side of him, a whole other life."

Chloe nodded and covered Lex's free hand with hers.

Lex then tossed the bat-a-rang on the floor and gripped her other hand. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I said the things I said… That wasn't me just now… That was some paranoid, possessive, controlling asshole… I don't want to be that man with you."

Chloe smiled at the irony of his words. "Don't take this the wrong way, Lex but that was you. You were angry and while I didn't necessarily like seeing you that way, it is part of who you are. I understand why you reacted that way, and I don't blame you for being angry. I was just as angry about the explosion, if you recall."

She squeezed his hand and continued. "I didn't like who I became today either. Obsessive, driven and unfeeling, uncaring about anyone else's feelings. Full on investigator mode. I was so determined to find out who Batman was under the mask, I completely forgot that he was a human being, too. Gordon tried to warn me, Ted did too, but I didn't listen. I made it into a game where he was the loser and I was the winner and that was all that mattered. Look what happened. I made a mess of everything. I certainly don't like you seeing me that way."

Lex used his thumb to wipe the small tear that had formed at the corner of her eye. "I love you, no matter which version of you happens to be in front of me."

Chloe turned to face him fully and placed her palms on either side of his face. "Do you think you can put up with scary Investigator Chloe whenever she shows up?"

Lex smiled. "I can handle her just fine, as long as she's honest with me. Can you handle all the versions of me that will happen by?"

"Yup, no problem. Because I'm in love with all of them."

Still holding his face her hands, she kissed him very gently and felt the sigh of relief he gave as soon as the words left her mouth. She then realized that she had waited fair too long to say them.

They kissed chastely for a while, then Lex raised himself up on his knees and pulled her up so he could press his body against hers. They exchanged some more heated, open-mouthed kisses before Lex buried his head in her neck, his arms tightly around her waist.

"I should probably warn you now; I think I'm going to have some…possessive tendencies when it comes to you."

"I had figured that part out on my own, thanks, but I appreciate the warning."

"Is it going to be a problem?"

"Maybe sometimes but as long as you step back in line when I tell you to and trust that I'm not out screwing my way through your friends, we should be OK. You should know me better that that by now."

"You're right, I do. And, lucky for me, I don't have many friends," Lex quipped against her ear.

They laughed shakily, kissed one more time, and shifted their positions until Lex was seated on the floor near the couch and Chloe was tucked between his knees, with her back against his chest.

"Speaking of friends…" Chloe began, after a moment.

"I know, I know… we'll stop by the Manor tomorrow and I'll apologize."

"OK, good."

They both looked out the window and watched the bat signal flickering against the sky.

"Umm… Lex?"

"Don't worry… we'll go in the afternoon."

"Right."

End chapter.


	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_Chloe's apartment…the following morning…_

The telephone was ringing. Why the Hell was the telephone ringing?

What time was it anyway?

Lex tried to sit up but realized there was a weight on his chest. A warm, soft weight.

He opened his eyes, looked down and saw a pool of blond hair spread across his chest and further down - pale, silky skin.

Chloe. Well, he certainly wasn't going to complain about that.

The telephone on the other hand…

Whose brilliant idea was it to turn their telephones back on?

Oh, right. His.

Because his office might call. Or Chloe's office. Or Chloe's father. Or Bruce might take his head out of his ass and call one of them.

As much as they might want to, they couldn't cut themselves off from the world entirely. So when they had gone to bed the night before, or rather, when they had finally gone to sleep, he had suggested that they switch their phones back on.

What the devil had he been thinking? Cutting themselves off from the world seemed like a perfectly fine idea. Especially since he had no meetings scheduled today, and Chloe was, as of yesterday, officially on vacation.

Mercifully, the telephone stopped ringing.

Lex sighed in relief and went back to languidly running his fingers through Chloe's hair, a task that took far more concentration than he would have thought given that he was trying to do it without waking her up. He probably should stop at some point but…not right now.

Chloe moaned in her sleep and hitched her leg higher up against his, creating a good amount of friction. Lex began visualizing various methods of waking Chloe up, each more pleasurable than the last.

Then the telephone started up again.

Fuck!

That wasn't one of them.

This time Chloe heard it, and she was no happier about it than he was.

"Whose brilliant idea was it to turn the phones back on?" she muttered, sounding very much like someone had attacked her vocal chords with a power sander.

She shifted over him to reach for the offending device and Lex had to take a deep breath to calm down various parts of his body that reacted as she did so.

There was still a mop of hair covering her face when she placed the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" she all but growled into the phone. Lex had to chuckle. God help the person on the other end.

"...As a matter of fact, you did…Ted, do I need to remind you that you're the one who told me to try and relax? I was following orders…Oh, shut up; I do so follow orders, most of the time…."

Ah, Ted Dandridge. At this hour? Was the man out of his mind? Lex then peered at his watch on the nightstand and realized that the workday had actually started for most people. Imagine that. He couldn't recall the last time he'd stayed in bed past seven, let alone eight.

Chloe sat up onto her knees and blew out a puff of air out to get her unruly hair out of her eyes. She held the sheet up to her chest as she spoke. "OK, I'm sort of awake now, what is it?"

Sensing the conversation might be work-related and thus not for Chloe to necessarily share with him, Lex sat up, kissed her shoulder and gestured to her that he was getting out of bed.

She nodded and mouthed the word 'coffee' to him with a pleading look on her face.

He shot her a look that reminded her that he was not an idiot and pulled on his boxers and t-shirt.

A few minutes later, having washed up and started the coffee maker, Lex was leaning against the counter skimming a newspaper article about some late-night gang activity that had been thwarted by Batman when Chloe appeared. She had pulled on a nightshirt than fell just above her knees and tamed her hair a bit but she was clearly still in Sleepy Chloe Mode, which was to say, pretty cranky.

"Everything OK?" he asked.

"Is the coffee ready?"

"Not yet."

"Then, no." she pouted.

"I was lying, it is ready," Lex laughed.

"What possible motivation would you have to lie to me about the availability of coffee?"

"To see your face turn that color." he quipped, pouring them both large cups.

When he turned, mugs in hand, she was seated up on the counter across from him, with one leg crossed over the other.

He frowned immediately. Evil woman. Hadn't they covered this?

She noted the look on his face at once. "Is this bad?" she asked, gesturing to her position.

"Depends, do you actually want to drink your coffee now or do you want to christen this counter now?"

"Christening the counter sounds like fun, but I need coffee first…and I need to talk to you about something."

"Then you should sit in a chair."

Chloe rolled her eyes and slid down onto a nearby stool. "Is it my fault you have a one track mind?"

"In this particular case, yes."

Once Chloe had what seemed like a sufficient amount of coffee in her, he asked. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, yeah…that was Ted on the phone."

"I thought you were on vacation."

Chloe shot him a look that indicated, as Lex had suspected, that she had a very different definition of vacation than the rest of the world.

"Whatever, here's the thing, Ted's heard about an opening in the company that he thinks I might be good for. It's not exactly a promotion; it's more like a change in duties."

"What is it exactly?"

"Training. Training new investigators about stuff that's not in the manual, so to speak. Showing them real-world investigative techniques that they might not otherwise think of. What's legal, what's not, the gray areas, that sort of thing."

"Sound right up your alley, especially the gray areas part, but it also sounds like you'd be bored out of your skull in three months."

Chloe grinned. "Funny, that's what he said."

"Smart man. I'm serious, Chloe. If you don't have an active mystery in your hands on a regular basis, you'll go insane. No one who knows you can think otherwise."

"Exactly, which is why he never suggested this to me before."

"So why suggest it now?"

Chloe took another long gulp of her coffee. "Ummmm, a couple of reasons…for one, he's come up with a way to reduce the insanity potential of the job and two…." She trailed off.

"Two—?"

"He thinks there's a greater chance that I'd accept it now given where it would be based."

"Which is?"

"Our headquarters…in Metropolis."

Oh. "Oh."

"That's it? 'Oh'?"

"What do want me to say?" He had plenty to say, he just wasn't sure she wanted to hear it.

"Some indication of an opinion one way or another would be appreciated."

"I do have an opinion. It should be very obvious what my opinion is."

"It's not."

Was she serious? How could it not be obvious? "Do you honestly think I would have no opinion on the prospect of having you in Metropolis. With me? All the time?"

"It wouldn't be all the time, it wouldn't necessarily be with you in the same place, and you could very well have a negative opinion."

That last part was true, he could. Just not in this lifetime.

"I don't. Negative is, in fact, the very last word I would use to describe my opinion on this."

"Lex, we've been doing…whatever this is…for just over a week. We haven't even defined it yet! Wouldn't my moving to Metropolis be kind of— oh, I dunno— weird? Like I was invading your space?"

"Are you referring to one of this country's largest cities as 'my space' because while I am quite flattered, there are several million other people who live there…"

"Lex…"

"…and I have been known to let them roam around the place without supervision from time to time…"

"Are we going to have a serious conversation about this or not?" she was getting a little irked by his teasing, as evidenced by the rising color in her cheeks.

Lex set down his coffee cup, placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her very gently. "You are very sexy when you're annoyed at me, you know that?"

"Evidently, I am going to be sexy pretty damn often in this relationship!" Chloe exclaimed, with a look of serious determination on her face. She clearly hadn't thought through what she said.

It was all too much for Lex to take. He laughed at her. Hard.

Finally the absurdity of what she said seemed to dawn on Chloe, she folded her arms and scowled at him, but with no real malice in her eyes. "If you're quite finished laughing at me…"

Lex coughed twice to still his laughter and held up his hands. "OK, I'm done. I'll be serious. Let me put it this way, it doesn't matter to me if you take the job or not."

"What?" she looked hurt.

"It doesn't matter to me if you take a job in Metropolis or Madagascar. I don't care if you're an investigator for Allied Insurance or a tour guide on the Great Wall of China, I plan on figuring out a way to be wherever you are, for as long as you want me to be."

Chloe's face crumpled up briefly, as if she were trying not to cry. "That's really sweet…. But what if we get sick of each other? If it actually does get weird, and you do think I'm invading your space?"

"It's just as likely that you'll think that I'm invading yours."

"That's true."

Lex frowned. "You didn't have to agree with me so quickly."

"We're off topic here! What happens if we get sick of each other?"

"Do you plan to get sick of me?"

"Well no, but I didn't plan to fall for you in the first place. I didn't plan to get thrown off a pier. I didn't plan to spend a week in the Batcave, and I didn't plan to figure out that Batman was, in fact, your best friend in disguise. Evidently, I'm a pretty poor planner."

"All valid points. Although, to be fair, no one could have predicted this particular series of events so I don't think it reflects poorly on your planning skills."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome. How about this, how about we simply promise to act like adults in the extremely unlikely event that we do get sick of each other, need more space, or things get, as you say, weird?"

Chloe made a face at him.

"Weird-_er_." Lex added.

"Act like adults? That's your plan?"

"Yes."

"Your plan needs work. Luckily, we have some time to correct that." Chloe pecked him on the cheek, hopped off the counter, and left the kitchen.

"Hello?!" called Lex. "Where are you going?"

"Upstairs. To get dressed," she shouted back.

"Why?"

"I need to see a man about a job."

Lex smiled. He might actually get the hang of this boyfriend thing.

* * *

_Allied Insurance Bldg.…Two hours later…_

They were waiting in her office at Allied for Ted to get out of a meeting when Lex brought up Danny. Chloe was surprised it had taken him this long.

"So, do you need me to take care of the Danny thing?"

Chloe arched her eyebrow at him as she packed up all of her LW Tech files for the shredder.

"Take care?"

"Relax, I meant 'take care' in the non-lethal sense. Although, in this case, I will admit to being tempted to take something from the Old Lionel Luthor Playbook but it would be overkill, no pun intended. I can't blame the kid for having a crush on you. Greater men than him have met a similar fate."

Chloe smirked at him. "A great many great men, in fact, just for your information."

The smile faded from Lex's face. "Like who?"

Chloe ignored his question. "Thanks for the offer but I've got the Danny thing covered."

Lex waved his index finger at her with mock seriousness. "I'm going to need names."

"You're going to need to get over it."

A knock on the door interrupted Lex's next inquiry.

"Come in!"

It was Ted. "Miss Sullivan, I think I might actually see you more now that you're on vacation. Why is that?"

Lex settled into a nearby chair. "Maybe because she's not, I don't know, hanging off a building or trapped in cave somewhere. Morning, Ted."

"That might have something to do with it. Good morning, Mr. Luthor," agreed Ted.

"Call me Lex."

Ted nodded, and turned to Chloe. "So, you ready to talk?"

"Yup. Shoot." She leaned back against her desk. When Ted looked questioningly at Lex, she waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry. He can stay. This affects him too."

"OK, if that's what you want. Now, here's how this position would work: training for new classes of investigators starts every six months. They spend three months in Metropolis with an instructor, and then get three months with a senior investigator in whatever office they are assigned to. Therefore, we'd only need you in Metropolis for the three months of initial instruction time."

"And the rest of the time?"

"The rest of the time, I get you back here, working our office's cases."

Chloe eye's flicked over to Lex. His face gave nothing away.

"So basically, I'd be a part-time investigator and part-time instructor. Three months at a time of each."

"Exactly. No time for you to get bored doing either, I still get to have you on my team and we get your help in making new...versions of you, basically. Hell, short of just cloning you, it's the best arrangement I could hope for."

"Yes, but there's nothing quite like the original." Lex drawled from his chair, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

"Would I get to develop my own training materials and the format of the classes?"

"Well, within reason. Obviously, Allied would need to look everything over to make sure all the methods you were advocating were…legal."

Chloe pretended to mull this over. "Spirit of the law legal or letter of the law legal?"

"CJ——"

"Just kidding."

Ted glanced at Lex quickly again before speaking again, this time more quietly. "And there would also be a corporate apartment for you to use in Metropolis…if you need it. Salary and benefits would be the same as what you are getting now. You report to me and the Director of Training, but mostly me. That's pretty much it. It's yours if you want it."

Chloe thought about the scenario for several minutes. She'd still be an investigator part of the time, still doing what she truly loved but teaching the new recruits had a certain appeal, as well. And then there was the issue of Lex. Being with him in Metropolis so they could explore their new relationship without living on airplanes was certainly appealing. But this was all still very early… Too early?

"Would I be able to switch back to full-time investigating if I decide I don't like training…or if something else happens?"

Ted understood what she was saying. "At any time."

"I get the same level of cases to work on when I'm here?"

"Without question."

"Well, then I guess I'll do it. What do I have to lose?"

Ted pumped his fists. "Yes! I was hoping you'd go for this."

Lex smirked at Ted's reaction. "I'll bet you were. I imagine this method is a lot cheaper than actually cloning her."

Chloe shook her head. "Ignore him; he's only this sarcastic when he's happy." She leaned forward and gave her boss a quick hug. "Thanks, this means a lot to me. And to him, only he's not going to say it out loud."

When she pulled back, she asked. "So, when do I start?"

"Next training class starts in six weeks. We'll need you to get started on a draft of the course outline and training materials in a couple weeks but…in the meantime, young lady…"

"Ugh, have you been talking to my father?"

"…In the meantime, you are supposed to be on vacation." He turned to Lex. "Do you think you can manage to keep her away from this building for longer than twenty-four hours?"

"I've tried. She keeps finding her way back here. And you calling this morning didn't help matters."

"Point taken. Here's a suggestion, try taking her farther away from this place than across town."

Lex looked as if a light just flashed on in his head. "Why didn't I think of that?" He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.

Chloe groaned at Ted. "Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it. Send me a postcard, will you? I'll see you in a week?"

Lex waved two fingers at both of them as he spoke into his phone.

"Looks look two weeks. Well, enjoy yourself." Ted turned to leave, then he remembered something. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know why Danny Peña's been pulled in for his mandatory annual physical twice in the last week, would you?"

Chloe felt the color rise to her cheeks immediately and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lex put his party on hold so he could listen in on this conversation as well.

"Ah…well, we're all required to take annual physicals if we want to stay in the field, right? Hence the word 'mandatory'."

"Yes, but Danny just had his in April and now, all of sudden, they call him again? And twice in a week? That's a weird definition of annual." Ted asked, with narrowed eyes. "Spill it, CJ."

"What makes you think I know anything about it?"

"Because when I looked out my window this morning, the sky was still blue! Now tell me what you did so I know if I need to fix it!"

"OK, …it's... possible that Allied's HR database keeps…_losing_the records of Danny's physicals. When that happens, the system automatically generates a request for him to go again."

Ted sighed. "I see. And how long will the HR database keep 'losing' his records?"

"For the next month...at least."

"CJ!!!"

"What?!! He could have given my dad a heart attack!"

"I am aware of that but….I swear, one of these days…" Ted rubbed at his temples. "Tell you what, if the HR database could be 'fixed' by the end of next week, I wouldn't see a need to let anyone else know about this little glitch. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal."

"One last question, did you have to make them _complete_physicals?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "No point in doing it otherwise."

"Very true." Ted grudgingly agreed.

Lex, however, still looked confused. "Excuse me? What's the big deal about a bunch of physicals? Does Danny have a problem with doctors?"

"He will now," Chloe snorted.

Even Ted was having a hard time not smiling. "The thing of it is, someone ordered Danny's physicals to be what we refer to as_complete _meaning everything in the standard physical exam…plus a BCS." Ted shot Chloe a glare. "And those are only supposed to be done under special circumstances, young lady."

Chloe pretended to find her fingernails very fascinating. "The system must think these are special circumstances."

"Is someone going to tell me what a BCS is?" Lex pressed.

Chloe and Ted looked at one another and answered in unison. "Body Cavity Search."

End chapter.


	30. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Batcave…later that afternoon…_

"So they're not going to tell anyone. You're sure of it?" Leslie asked, as she dabbed disinfectant on Bruce's arm.

Bruce gritted his teeth as the fluid stung the shallow knife wound on his forearm where one of the gang members had managed to pierce his Kevlar. "She gave me her word. I'm not really in a position to negotiate with her at this point."

"_She_gave you her word, what about Lex Luthor?"

"He hasn't said much of anything. Of course I didn't hang around to chat. I honestly don't know what Lex will do. He was angry, that was clear. You can never really predict what Luthors will do when they're angry."

Leslie paused as she wrapped gauze around Bruce's arm. "Bruce, as you've said yourself on many occasions, Lex isn't his father."

"I know that and I believe that."

"But…?"

"He was really angry, Leslie."

Leslie secured the bandage and patted his hand gently. Her kind eyes skimmed over his face, no doubt seeing the dark circles he himself has seen when the looked in the mirror this morning. The rough night and the lack of sleep were evident on his face.

"Everything will be all right, I'm sure of it." Leslie told him. "If he was that angry, I'm sure it's only because he's very much in love with her. But from what you said, they're still together so there's no need for him to harbor any resentment or anger towards you no matter how angry he may have seemed last night. Love brings out the extremes in people's emotions. Just wait, one of these days, you'll fall in love like that…"

"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice on the intercom interrupted Leslie's words. The intercom allowed Alfred to talk to Bruce while he was in the cave from a small panel in the kitchen. Bruce had installed it shortly after finishing the cave.

"Yes, Alfred?"

"You have visitors in the Manor, sir."

"Who is it?"

"Mr. Luthor and Miss Sullivan."

Leslie smiled. "See? I told you."

Bruce was not convinced. "They don't have anyone with them, do they?" he asked.

"No, sir. They arrived alone, in Mr. Luthor's vehicle."

Bruce swallowed. Then looked at Leslie. "What should I do?"

Leslie was still smiling as she packed up her medical bag.

"He's your oldest real friend. She helped you when needed it most and was going to keep your secret at great personal cost. If it were me...I'd give them both the benefit of the doubt. And as for me, I need to go now so it's time to give you my usual speech on how you need to be careful and not take any unnecessarily risks. You will no doubt ignore me, also as per usual, so let's save some time and consider it done, OK?"

"Leslie…"

"I'll take the back way out. Take care, Bruce." She patted his check and disappeared towards the back entrance, which led to the kitchen.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred pressed.

"I'll be right up, Alfred…have them wait in my study."

"Sir—?"

"Trust me, Alfred."

Bruce climbed the stairs to the main entrance to the house, the one that led though the old grandfather clock in his study. When he built the entrance to the cave, he had needed it to be somewhere that was somewhat private, in case he needed to enter and leave the cave when there were others in the house.

The entrance was well concealed and, from the study side, opened only if the hands of the clock were set to a specific time and in a specific order. No one would ever suspect what lay behind the clock.

Unless, of course, someone showed them.

He took a deep breath and pushed the lever that opened the clock from the cave side.

Chloe and Lex both turned towards him surprise when they heard the clock swing open. Bruce purposely let it swing all the way open so they could be no question of where he was coming from.

Lex's eyes were wide while Chloe looked merely curious. And somewhat amused. She leaned against his desk and watched silently while Lex walked forward and stood in the "doorway" made by the clock.

He then whipped his head around to look at Bruce again. Bruce was momentarily concerned that Lex was going to hit him again. He knew what Lex was thinking. They had their conversation about Chloe in this very study, only a few feet away from where she had been. She had been there the whole time. Bruce wouldn't blame Lex one bit if he wanted to hit him again.

Finally Lex broke the silence.

"It's just...right down there?"

"Yes."

"In your house!?"

"Well, if you're a masked nocturnal vigilante, the last thing you want is a long commute." quipped Chloe.

Both men turned their heads to look at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Are we all just going to stand around glaring at one another or are we going to take a tour?

Wordlessly, Bruce gestured for her to lead the way down the stone steps. As she passed the two men, Lex once again voiced his surprise.

"In your house? You built this...cave...right in your house?"

Chloe, who by now was on the second step, spun around.

"OK, two things: one, where else was he going to put it? And two, let those of use who've never built secret rooms in our castles cast the first stone. Now come on."

She turned again and disappeared down the stairs.

Lex half-smiled and ran his hand over his head. "She has a way of...putting things in perspective."

"Perspective?" Bruce drawled, gesturing for Lex to follow Chloe down the stairs. "Is that what that is?"

* * *

Lex estimated that the dark, narrow staircase carried them down at least two stories from the main house. He surmised that the cave where they were headed had to be primarily a natural formation because even with Bruce's immense resources, there was no way he could have built this himself so deep into the ground without anyone noticing. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do it and Lex had always figured himself to be more adept at subterfuge than Bruce. Evidently, he'd have to rethink that assessment.

Finally, they seemed to hit bottom. When the stairwell walls and ceiling expanded outwards around him to reveal the expansive cave, Lex had to clench his jaw to keep it from dropping. The ceiling sloped high overhead and was riddled with hanging stalactites and crevasses from which a faint but insistent screeching could be heard.

Bats.

Chloe hadn't been lying about the bats.

Logically he knew that she wouldn't lie about them but it was one thing to hear that there were bats in the cave and another thing to be there, hearing the movement of flapping, leathery wings and the high-pitched whine.

He turned his head to where Chloe had stopped and blinked rapidly at the enormous computer console she was now leaning casually against. Lex was no stranger to high tech equipment, especially surveillance equipment but this…structure was straight out of Houston's Mission Control.

On the opposite wall from the console was a serious of doorways that he could only assume led to smaller rooms in the cave, and beyond that, a sloping ramp which he imagined led to the tank of a vehicle that Batman…Bruce has brought Chloe home in.

When his mind replaced Bruce's name with Batman in his thoughts, he was reminded of the full impact of the situation. Bruce built all this. Bruce owned that mind-boggling vehicle. Bruce swung from buildings and fought criminals every night. Bruce was Batman.

"Lex?" Chloe asked. "Are you OK? Your face is a funny color."

"What color is it?" Lex asked, distantly, as he looked to the far wall and discovered some kind of high-tech criminal lab.

"Well, it's not so much the color as it is the absence of color. Maybe you should sit down."

"I'm fine." He made a tight circle with his steps, his eyes skimming the space. "So, did you get a cot of some sort while you were here or did he just keep you pumped with coffee?"

"Down the first hallway. He calls it the infirmary."

"Infirmary?" Lex asked. Just what all did Bruce have down here anyway?

Bruce shrugged. "I can show it to you if you like. I didn't make her sleep in a pallet on the floor if that's what you're thinking."

"There's such a long list of things I'm thinking right now, Bruce, I'm not sure where to start," Lex replied dryly, taking another glance around.

"Well, the infirmary is as good a place as any," Bruce gestured for Lex to walk down the first hallway, then noticed that Chloe wasn't following them. Much to Bruce's apparent chagrin, she was unloading papers and discs out of her purse over by the computer console.

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Sullivan?"

Chloe flipped through some papers in her hand. "Yeah, a cup of coffee would be great, actually. Thanks."

"No…what, may I ask, are you doing?"

"Upgrades."

"Upgrades?"

"Upgrades to your bat-computer."

"Upgrades to my— I told you to stop calling it that! I don't remember calling tech support; I don't need any upgrades."

"It's your computer. You're Batman. Therefore it's your bat-computer. Why is this so hard for you to fathom? Anyway, it does need upgrades."

Lex watched the exchange with some amusement and began to wonder if Chloe had done this to Bruce the whole time she was here. Surely she couldn't have. He would have gone insane.

"This computer is state-of-the-art Wayne Enterprises technology that is almost two years ahead of everything else currently on the market; it does not need to some two-bit hacker coming in and messing with it."

Chloe placed her hands on her hips. "First of all, Batman or not, you call me a two-bit hacker again and you'll regret it. The last person who pissed me off is getting virtually non-stop rectal exams for the next three weeks! That sound like fun to you, Mr. Vigilante? And second of all, I noticed that you were missing links to some criminal databases that might be helpful to you. I was going to set up those links for you and get you the necessary access codes. See?" She thrust a sheet of paper at him which no doubt listed the databases she was referring to.

Bruce grabbed the sheet from her and began to rant back. "It's still my computer, I make any decisions—" Something on the sheet caught his eye. "You can get me into that one? How?"

Lex snickered while Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed the sheet of paper back.

"I was on a case on England and had drinks with this guy who works at Scotland Yard. I convinced him that it was professional courtesy. Of course the alcohol helped me make my case. By the fourth Guinness, he was handing over all sorts of passwords."

Lex frowned. Some guy at Scotland Yard? "What guy at Scotland Yard?" Lex asked, without thinking.

Chloe didn't even bother to look at him. "I said get over it, Lex. Look, Bruce, by the time I'm done, you're going to know who's on the Interpol hot list before the head of the CIA does. That sound OK?"

Bruce frowned. Then nodded curtly and walked away from Chloe. She didn't seem fazed. She simply began punching keys on the console. Lex shook his head as his friend caught up with him in the corridor.

"Would it kill you to tell her thank you?"

"I just did."

"A frown and a head nod is thank you?"

"Yes."

"No wonder she wants to kill you most of the time."

"In case you hadn't noticed, the feeling is mutual."

"That's too bad for you then because she's sticking around for while."

Bruce stopped walking and turned to face Lex in the hallway.

"How are you two going to manage this relationship? You live in Metropolis."

"That's true."

"And she lives here in Gotham."

"That's not as true, not as of yesterday."

"You convinced her to quit her job?"

Lex snorted. "Not likely to happen. Her boss gave her a new assignment. Training. Three months in Metropolis, three months here and so on. With the LW Tech plant still here in Gotham, I'll have no problem handling the three months she's in Gotham. There's plenty of work for me here."

"How long do you figure you guys can keep up that schedule?"

Lex smirked. "Long enough."

"Long enough for what? For you to convince her to marry you?" Bruce offered sarcastically. But when Lex didn't laugh, Bruce's face turned serious. "Are you joking? Tell me you're joking."

"Why would I joke about something like this?"

Lex could see Bruce swallowing hard. "I…I guess I never thought you would get married again. No offense but you're not very good at it. Besides, how do you know that things will even work out?"

"My previous marriages weren't based on what I have with Chloe. It'll be different. I know it."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." Lex insisted. He paused for a beat, and then said. "I don't do things halfway, Bruce."

"No, I suppose you don't."

By this time they had reached the infirmary and Lex looked around at the room that would have not looked out of place in a Gotham's best hospital.

"And evidently, neither do you."

Bruce shrugged. "There's a gym next door and a room for me to keep weapons and uniforms next to that. That's it. The rest is all sealed off. The only ways in and out are through the house and tunnel for the car, all armed with security features. She was perfectly safe while she was here."

"And Dr. Thompkins looked after her? And Alfred?"

"From a distance, yes."

From the answer, it was clear to Lex that Bruce had taken every precaution to conceal his identity while Chloe was in the cave. Every precaution except not underestimating Chloe herself.

"And besides them, and Chloe and I, no one else knows?"

"No one."

"How long you think you can keep that up?"

"Long enough."

"Long enough for what? For you to get yourself killed by one of these criminals you hunt? For the police to stop trusting you altogether?" For you to miscalculate when you jump off one of those buildings one day?"

"Your faith in my abilities is touching. You of all people should know me well enough to know why I am doing this. This is important to me…This is for them."

There was no question of who the 'them' Bruce was referring to were but Lex was still hesitant.

"Bruce, you may think you're doing this to honor them or to thank them for all they gave you. You may even think you're doing this so no one else has to go through what you went through. But the longer you do this, your reasons could change. I just want you to make absolutely sure you're not doing it for an entirely different reason."

Bruce titled his head back. "And what reason would that be?"

"To punish yourself. For surviving."

Judging from the darkness that closed in on Bruce's face, Lex knew he struck a nerve.

"Just think about it," he urged.

Bruce only nodded.

A long moment passed before Bruce finally spoke again. "You still angry?"

"Yes. But the urge to hit you has passed."

* * *

Chloe didn't bother to look up when she heard Bruce and Lex returning to the main part of the cave. She sent the next batch of commands to execute and switched to another screen to review her progress.

She couldn't resist teasing Lex and Bruce though. "You two kiss and make up?"

Lex was suddenly behind her chair with his hands on her shoulders. "Chloe, let's not joke about that, not even metaphorically speaking."

Chloe titled her head back for a kiss, which Lex obliged. "You guys are no fun," she teased when they parted.

"On that particular score, yes, we are no fun at all. Let's keep it that way. Are you almost done here?"

"Almost. Are you done with your tour?"

Lex grimaced a bit. "We're taking a break. This is all… a lot to take in at once."

"Try doing it with a concussion."

"I'll pass, thanks."

Bruce was over by the wall speaking into the intercom, presumably to Alfred. When he was done he joined Chloe and Lex at the bat-computer.

"Alfred has some coffee upstairs for us when we're finished down here."

The computer beeped and Chloe hit a series of keys. "Which we are. There you go. You're all upgraded. I'll send you my bill," she teased.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at her.

"Or you can just thank me like a normal human being." she added.

Bruce said nothing at first until finally Lex elbowed him.

"Thank you," he grumbled.

"Be still my heart, he did it! I think I feel faint. Hey, maybe we can try it next time without the physical prodding?"

The trio made their way upstairs in silence and when Bruce shut and locked the grandfather clock behind them, Chloe felt herself let out a breath. She looked over at Lex and realized he had just done the same.

As promised, Alfred had left a silver coffee service tray on a low table near the fireplace.

As Bruce poured them coffee, Chloe broke the silence.

"So now what?"

"Good question," replied Lex.

Bruce shrugged "We go back to normal?"

Chloe shot him an incredulous look. "No, seriously. Now what?"

"She has a point," agreed Lex. "What's normal after this?"

"What was normal _before_this?" Chloe mused.

Bruce was studying his coffee cup intently. "Well, first things first, I should probably thank both of you for…not saying anything about all of this. I know I haven't always acted in such a way to deserve this kind of loyalty…but I am glad to have it and I will do whatever it takes to keep it."

"Another thank you?" quipped Chloe. "I think I need to sit down."

"Bruce, now that Chloe and I know, I wish you wouldn't take on so much of this burden by yourself. If you need help…. Well, you've seen what Chloe can do and I do have some resources that you do not have access to. You should at least consider it."

"Lex is right, don't feel like you're alone in this. I know that's what you prefer, but there are going to be times we can offer something that Alfred and Leslie can't."

"Chloe, I've told you from the beginning, I work alone…"

"And I told you, that is not entirely accurate; you work with people you trust. Those are your very own words, Mister."

Bruce looked at them for long while, then at the fire, and finally at the painting over the fireplace.

"OK."

"OK?" Chloe was taken aback. The last thing she expected was for him to agree with her.

"Just OK? You'll actually accept help from us? You'll even ask for it?"

"Yes, I will. Is it that hard to believe?"

"Uh, yeah, I was expecting you to find ten different ways to tell us 'no'. Why would you say 'yes' so easily now?"

"Well, for one thing, I do trust you. I have to trust you. Both of you. And secondly, Miss Sullivan, I have been telling you 'no' constantly since I first met you in my office weeks ago and I ask you, where has it gotten me? Eventually a man needs to cut his losses and move on to the next battle."

Chloe did a double take; Bruce was actually smiling at her. It was a faint, half-smile but it was there and it was genuine.

She smiled back and leaned closer to him. "Are you trying to get me to hug you again?"

The smile disappeared and Bruce's back stiffened immediately. "I'm really not."

Chloe laughed and raised her coffee cup. "Relax, how about a toast instead?"

Lex raised his as well. "What are we toasting to?"

After a moment, Bruce raised his. "To trusted friends."

"To trusted friends."

The End.


End file.
